South Gloucestershire bin strikes called off after pay offer

Unite members employed by Suez voted to accept a 10.1% increase

Strikes by bin workers in South Gloucestershire have been called off after union members voted to accept an improved pay offer.

About 150 employees of waste management company Suez began industrial action in June and had planned to strike until September.

Workers previously rejected an 8% pay increase and had asked for a rise of 15%.

But they voted to accept a 10.1% pay rise on Wednesday, union Unite said.

Bin collections resumed in the area on Monday while the 10.1% offer was put to a vote.

"Suez workers in South Gloucestershire stood firm in their union and secured a significantly improved offer," said Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary.

"This is a well-deserved result for them and more evidence that Unite's focus on enhancing jobs, pay and conditions is winning for our members."

Workers began taking strike action in June

Senior union representative Jim Little said previously some striking staff needed to use food banks despite working 40-hour weeks.

"We do a very hard job, we go out in all winds and weathers, we get abused, we get underpaid, we get undervalued," he said.

Unite members at Bristol Waste and Suez in Somerset have also accepted pay offers in disputes in recent weeks.