Bin collection teams set to strike in Huntingdonshire in row over pay

Bin collection teams in Huntingdonshire are set to take strike action in a row over pay.

Huntingdonshire District Council was informed this week that members of the UNISON union intend to start industrial action from Monday, 21 August to Friday, 25 August.

This is for all UNISON members employed by the council who work at Eastfield House, which includes some of the council’s waste collection crews and other services..

Earlier this year, the council gave its employees a pay rise of 4% plus a one-off payment of £1,000.

Then last month, council managers made some extra money available for a further one-off lump sum. This was after UNISON launched a strike ballot of its members at the Cambridgeshire local authority.

But staff say this will still leave them struggling to make ends meet, and in a recent vote, opted to reject the proposal.

UNISON has written to local councillors urging them to get involved and bring the dispute to a swift end by paying staff fairly.

Fortnightly refuse and recycling collections would be prioritised if industrial action does go ahead but there is no guarantee that these collections will take place on time.

‘Pay increases this year look to be unaffordable’

Cllr Martin Hassall, Executive Councillor for Corporate and Shared Services, said: “We have been in regular discussions with UNISON, who represent an important but small element of our overall staff base and have made clear our intention and commitment to continuing with these conversations moving forward.

“We are disappointed that they have signalled their intention to take this course of action but talks are ongoing and we very much hope that industrial action can be avoided or resolved quickly.

“Rising costs and inflation has impacted all of us and the council is not immune to these financial challenges. We have made the commitment to rewarding staff fairly, and offering other benefits, whenever we are able to do so. This led to staff receiving a 4% pay award for this financial year along with a further £1,000 one-off award to all contracted staff in March.

“We must remain in a position to provide vital public services and protect the most vulnerable in our communities. Each percentage increase in staff salary costs the council £250,000 a year, and this year's pay award already requires an additional £5million to fund it over the next five years. Unless financial results are better than forecast, or the longer-term financial landscape changes, further consolidated pay increases this year look to be unaffordable.

“Arrangements will be put in place to ensure that we can maintain our frontline services as best we can on the days affected but some services will have to be prioritised at the expense of others and we would ask for the public’s patience. If there are any changes to services, then we will communicate these via our website and social media.”

‘It’s high time they made staff a better offer’

UNISON Cambridgeshire County branch secretary Rob Turner said: “It’s disappointing that senior council managers are failing to take the pay issue more seriously. Staff aren't happy, and not enough is being done to resolve the situation.

"No one ever wants to go on strike. But these workers are being left with little alternative. They know local government staff in other parts of England and Wales have been offered more.

"Huntingdonshire's employees aren’t asking for the moon. Just a fair pay increase that better reflects the rising cost of rent, food, fuel, energy and pretty much everything else as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.

"The threat of strike action has clearly persuaded managers at the local authority to think again. It's high time they made staff a much better offer."