More bin strikes confirmed for January

Further strike action has been confirmed for two weeks in January

A further two weeks of strikes by refuse workers in South Tyneside have been announced.

Members of the GMB union will walk out between 9 and 12 January, and both GMB and Unite union members will be striking from 23 to 26 January.

The GMB said its members had received no offer from the council and were "extremely disappointed" to be taking further industrial action.

South Tyneside Council said it was "committed" to end the dispute which is centred on allegations of bullying and mismanagement of services.

Residents have been told to put out both their grey and blue bins on non-strike weeks, with the local authority saying it will try to empty at least one of them.

About 50 GMB members and a small number of Unite union members will be taking part in the industrial action.

Waste collection workers were last on strike from 27 December to 30 December 2023

A council spokesperson said: "We are disappointed that these latest rounds of strike action have come in response to communication with the crew, which not only reminded them of their important roles on the front line but reinforced our commitment to resolve matters and move forward.

“Our people are our strongest asset, and our waste services team are valued members of the council’s workforce."

GMB organiser Mark Wilson said the first round of strikes set to take place in January was triggered by a "threatening letter" members received before Christmas.

Mr Wilson added industrial action would continue until there was a "constructive dialogue" with the council and members received proposals addressing their concerns.

Dates for potential strikes in February and April had also been served to the council, he said.

"The members feel absolutely let down by the council. They've had no acknowledgement of an issue," Mr Wilson said.

"We believe the industrial action could be stopped tomorrow if the council came to us with a proposal to deal with the issues."

An independent investigation was commissioned by the local authority in September following grievances lodged in June.

South Tyneside Council said the preliminary findings of the report had been shared with the unions and a final report would be shared in the coming weeks.

Refuse collection workers previously went on strike in November and December last year.

The recycling village remains open and additional slots have been made available.