Strike: Church litter pickers 'undermining' industrial action

Four weeks of industrial action over pay and conditions began on 15 August

Volunteer litter collections are undermining strike action, a leading trade union has said.

Bin workers in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council area began four weeks of industrial action over pay and conditions on 15 August.

Members of three trade unions - GMB, Nipsa and Unite - are involved in the strike.

However, a church based in Craigavon and Lurgan has organised volunteer litter picks.

When asked on Evening Extra, the GMB's Alan Perry agreed the volunteers were undermining the industrial action.

"First and foremost, I think that it is regrettable that we have found ourselves in this situation," he told the programme.

"We want to get back to work but we also have to be mindful, as of yet, there is no reasonable offer that we can take back to our members.

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"But I think we have to be realistic, I think all communities will do what they can to assist and obviously make their area look clean and tidy."

However, Mr Perry said there were council employees to do this work if "an acceptable offer" was made available.

There had previously been concerns raised about fly-tipping in the area as strike action stretched into its third week.

'Public health issue'

DUP councillor Mark Baxter said that the town centres had been left in a "dire state".

"The bins are overflowing, the streets are really bad, people are stockpiling waste in their homes, there are huge health and safety implications," he said.

"I think they have to be commended because people don't want to live like this, we want a fair deal for staff, I think we want a fair deal for everyone in the borough but most importantly we want a fair deal for our businesses and we need a fair deal for the ratepayer."

Mr Baxter added that this was a "public health issue" and that a "quick resolution" needed to be found.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin councillor Bróna Haughey said that the actions of the church led groups were "difficult" to comment on.

"We would promote litter picking outside of a strike situation and our party would carry out litter picks 12 months a year," she said.

"I am sure the church groups just wanted to do something for the community and clean it up, I am sure they didn't think that it would have an impact on the strikes or maybe think about what way the unions would have took it on."