Wiltshire bin strike suspended as staff discuss pay offer

The GMB said the original offer was a "massive" real-terms pay cut.

A planned strike of bin collections across Wiltshire has been suspended after workers received a new pay offer.

It was feared the 14 days of action, starting on Monday, could cause disruption to more than 250,000 homes.

Employees at council contractor Hills Municipal Collections Ltd are fighting pay rises of two per cent, which the GMB Union says is a real-terms pay cut.

The first week of strikes has now been suspended while staff decide whether to accept the new deal.

GMB representative, Nicola Nixon, said the offer is still "somewhat short" of what workers' feel they deserve.

"While it's not quite there, I have to acknowledge that Hills have moved forward with this offer," she said.

"It's just a shame they didn't go that little bit further to perhaps make an acceptance result a foregone conclusion."

Wiltshire Council has advised residents to put their bins out as normal on Monday.

In a statement, Hills Municipal Collections said it "welcomed " the fact that the industrial action had been suspended, a move which it said would avert "disruption to its household waste collection service across the county".

"The pay review offer provides a fair settlement and is in line with comparable local pay reviews, inflation indexation and the current cost of living," the statement added.

Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for waste, said: "We are hopeful that the two parties can resolve this matter without the need for strike action, but if not, we are working closely with Hills to ensure that any potential disruption would be kept to a minimum."

Residents have been advised to put their bins out as normal on Monday, but also in line with the new bin schedule that coincidentally starts in Wiltshire on the same day.