Hopes bin strikes may end after action plan agreed

Refuse collectors in South Tyneside have been on strike periodically since November

Long-running strikes by refuse workers in South Tyneside may be one step closer to ending, after talks between unions and the council.

Residents have been hit by industrial action since November in a row over bullying allegations.

On Friday, South Tyneside Council put out a joint statement with the GMB and Unite unions which said an “action plan” had been agreed to “try and bring an end to industrial action”.

A spokesperson for the unions said they hoped to bring an end to the strikes “following a period of stability, engagement and investment in the service”.

The action plan comes after both sides met with Acas, an independent public conciliation service, to try and agree a resolution.

In the joint statement, a spokesperson for the Labour-led council said it had gone to “great lengths to engage with and listen” to the workers’ concerns.

“Everyone is on board to bring about the improvements to the service and working conditions that the workforce has asked for,” the spokesperson said.

“We will maintain vigilant oversight of the service to maintain the right level of challenge and support.”

A spokesperson for the unions said all parties now had a “clear plan” which gave them the “foundations to move forward positively”.

"We are hopeful that, through working differently with the council, we will be in a position to bring industrial action to an end following a period of stability, engagement, and investment in the service," a statement added.