Unite union members turn down package that would have seen pay increase of between 13.8%-17.9%
Despite the herculean efforts by senior Council officers over the past week to avert bin strike action in Newham, staff members in our waste and recycling service have yet again turned down a generous pay package on the table.
Not only have they snubbed wage rises of £2,229 - representing annual salary increases of between 7.8% - 9.9% for both loaders and drivers – they have turned their back on a wide-ranging package of benefits.
The package represents at least an additional 4.1% increase to their salaries, including a £2000 retention fee for HGV drivers, enhanced overtime payments and increased payments for bank holiday working for all staff.
Combined with the nationally proposed negotiated pay settlement, our staff in the waste and recycling service would have been in line for an overall total pay increase of between 13.8% - 17.9%.
Regretfully, Unite union members have rejected the generous package on the table, and sadly the people who will suffer the most are our hard-working Newham residents who earn significantly less than what has been offered to our refuse workers.
Our residents now face the crippling impact of rising energy bills and a cost of living emergency, as well as the impact of a week-long strike led by the Unite union which will start on Saturday 27 August. This will cause a build-up of refuse waste and fly-tipping plus disruption to refuse and recycling collections for several weeks, and I thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
I am really sorry that Newham residents have to suffer even more in these most difficult of times because of the actions of the Unite union.