Bin strike: Councillors vote amended deal to propose to GMB Union

After a six hour meeting, councillors have voted through the amended recommendations to raise pay, recruit an independent negotiator, seek an exemption to urgently address bin stores in tower blocks that could be a fire risk.

While it is down to the Green administration and council managers to negotiate with GMB union to end the bin strike, the agreed amendments at the special policy and resources committee meeting today is a step forward for the council to resolve the industrial action.

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Leader of the council, said they are "hopeful" of acceptance for the revised offer.

He said: “Councillors have today agreed a way forward to resolve industrial action at City Clean, after being presented with options. We thank the Labour Group for working together with us on paving a way forward to a resolution.

• READ MORE: Conservative councillor compares GMB union with terrorists in bin strike talks

"We are hopeful of acceptance of a revised offer to the GMB, and the subsequent suspension of strike action.

“The offer agreed by committee urges the employer to achieve best value for money and address low pay.

"It also includes a request to the GMB to consider removing rubbish from bin storage areas in flats, to avoid a fire hazard.

"The proposal also seeks to involve a mediator, should this latest offer from the employer not be accepted and further negotiations continue."

Councillor John Allcock, Labour’s co-leader of the opposition, said they were pleased to help broker the deal.

The bin strike is in its ninth day.

He said: “I’m really pleased that we have been able to broker a deal that should help the Council negotiate an end to the City Clean dispute that has seen rubbish and recycling piling up on our streets for nine days.

“We have won agreement today for the Council to bring in an independent mediator to help resolve the industrial dispute, and to negotiate for dispensation to address fire safety concerns in bin stores.

“We have given the Green administration the tools to resolve this dispute once and for all, and our suffering residents are depending on them to do so.”

The current industrial action began on October 5 and will last two weeks, ending on October 19.

Should an agreement not be reached between the GMB and the council, a second strike will start on October 21. This is expected to last for five weeks, ending on November 25 if no resolution to the dispute is made.

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