West Cumbria bin strike: New temporary contracts prepared

The industrial action started in May

Temporary drivers and loaders are to be recruited on short-term contracts to cover during a bin strike in Cumbria.

Allerdale Waste Services (AWS) said the temporary workers were needed over "the busier summer period" and to provide a continuity of service.

A dispute over pay by workers in Unite and GMB unions has seen disruption to weekly bin collections since 16 May.

Unite said hiring temporary staff could be seen as a management bid to "undermine lawful industrial action".

Talks between AWS, Cumberland Council and unions have been set up with Acas.

The bin strike is affecting people living in towns including Workington, Maryport, Aspatria, Cockermouth, Silloth, Wigton and Keswick.

It follows a radical shake-up to local government in 2022 which saw Cumbria County Council disbanded and six local authorities split up and controlled by two new unitary authorities.

Unions want parity between the unitary areas, claiming workers in Carlisle and Copeland came under a national agreement and had better holiday entitlement and sick pay than workers in Allerdale.

The council has said AWS employees received a 10.1% pay rise and it could not afford what the union wanted.

But unions claim workers in the former Allerdale council area were "still the lowest paid" in the county.

Almost 30,000 homes have missed weekly bin collections since the action started

An AWS spokesperson said: "The recruitment is in no way pre-empting the outcome of negotiation and discussion with the trade unions regarding the industrial action. It is to ensure that the current refuse collection service is maintained.

"Should the industrial action be resolved, and employees return to work, we will still require the additional resource.

"Like Cumberland Council, we are keen to maintain the dialogue with the trade unions and welcome the involvement of Acas."

Acas is an independent body that can help parties, normally an employer and unions, resolve employment disputes.

Last month the High Court ruled that employers can no longer use agency staff to cover striking workers during walkouts.

Ryan Armstrong from Unite said: "Unite are aware that AWS are to employ workers on temporary contracts as opposed to the utilisation of agency workers, which is to be outlawed on the 10 August.

"Whilst the hiring of temporary staff is not unlawful, it may be seen as AWS's continued attempts to undermine lawful industrial action."

Mr Armstrong added the union would continue to monitor AWS to make sure no regulations were breached.