Chesterfield bin collectors may strike over pay dispute

GMB Union said employees of Veolia environmental services in Chesterfield voted to reject a pay rise of 4.48%

Bin collectors could go on strike in Chesterfield over a pay dispute with a waste contractor, a union has said.

GMB said employees of Veolia environmental services had unanimously voted to reject a below inflation pay increase of 4.48%.

The union said it would now launch a formal industrial action ballot, the dates of which are to be announced in the next few days.

Veolia said it "remained committed to the ongoing pay negotiations".

GMB said members working for the company were "furious" about the pay offer "with inflation rampant at more than 11%".

It said some workers had been forced to take second jobs to make ends meet.

GMB organiser Deanne Ferguson said:  "We call on the company to get back round the table and come up with a meaningful offer that reflects the hard job our members do every day, and they so richly deserve."

Tens of thousands of homes across Chesterfield would be affected by the strike action, the union added.

A Veolia spokesperson urged GMB to "follow our established processes to resolve this matter".