Wiltshire bins strike to hit 250,000 homes - date announced
The Wiltshire bin collectors' union has announced the date of the first strike action which could hit the more than 250,000 homes across the county - February 28.
The union is warning that it "could potentially be a very long dispute" and it is now arranging pickets.
The GMB union says 98 per cent of workers have voted for a strike in a pay row with Hills Waste Solutions, which has bases in Trowbridge, Calne and Salisbury. But the strike is set to affect homes county-wide.
Around 70 workers are now set to walk out in the disagreement which centres on demands for a seven per cent pay rise against the company's offer of of a below-inflation two per cent increase.
In a statement issued today the GMB said: "Members of GMB, the union for refuse and recycling workers, have issued Hills Waste Solutions with the result of their strike ballot in Wiltshire, and today provided the company with dates for the first round of strike action.
"There is a legal requirement to provide two weeks' notice to an employer and so the first date of strike action has been scheduled for February 28, with further dates to follow in March.
"The result of the ballot was comprehensively in favour of action, with 98.4 per cent of respondents in favour of strike action and 98.3 per cent in favour of action short of a strike, based on a ballot return of 84.7 per cent.
"The union's 70 members are employed across three sites in Trowbridge, Salisbury and Calne, and are angry after Hills imposed a 2 per cent pay award on part of the workforce without agreement of staff or the union.
"The members are disappointed that the company failed to negotiate meaningfully with GMB for the rest of their operational workforce, leaving the entire workforce facing what will amount to a massive real terms pay cut."
Nicola Nixon, GMB regional organiser said: "We gave Hills the ballot result on Friday and with the result being such a clear mandate we have today served notice on the employer. We will now be working with our strike committee to arrange pickets for this first series of strike dates.
Wiltshire bins strike to hit 250,000 homes - date announced | Wiltshire Times