Unite strike: Most Mid Ulster bin collections to halt for a month

The industrial action will only affect Mid Ulster District Council at present, Unite says

Mid Ulster District Council has confirmed that the "vast majority of bins" will not be emptied for a month due to industrial action.

Unite union members at the council will begin a strike in a dispute over pay on Monday and it is due to last until 21 August.

At present, it will only affect Mid Ulster District Council, Unite says.

The action follows a previous walk-out by Unite members in March over a local government pay offer of 1.75%.

The union called that a "real-terms pay cut" with the rising cost of living.

In a statement, the council said that the "most severe impact" would be to bin collections along with services at the Cookstown and Greenvale leisure centres.

"While we will endeavour to collect bins where possible depending on the availability of staff on the given day, the likelihood is regrettably, the vast majority of bins will not be emptied," a spokesperson said.

"While no collections can be guaranteed, residents are being advised to leave their bins out for collection on the normal day by 7:30am and they will be emptied where there are sufficient crews to deliver a service.

"If bins are not emptied, residents are being asked to take their bins back in from the kerbside and place them out again on their next scheduled collection day, where again they will be emptied if there are sufficient crews available."

Pay offer

Other services including grass cutting, bulky waste collection and the purchasing of bins online will also be affected.

Last week, Unite members at Derry City and Strabane District Council (DSCDC) suspended their planned four weeks of industrial action.

This came after what was described as "a significantly improved pay offer".

DCSDC said it welcomed the decision to suspend the strike.

A Unite spokesman said the new offer will now be put to members in the north west.