refuse collection
Articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the service sector, as distinct from retail, energy and communications.
Half a million council workers strike over pay
Local government workers across England, Northern Ireland and Wales struck for two days alongside civil servants against sub-inflation pay rises.
More than 500,000 workers were on strike on July 16 and 17, bringing disruption to schools, town halls, refuse collections and libraries throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
"This has been a fantastic response from our members," said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis. "Local government workers have shown their anger and resentment towards this pay offer.
Cardiff landfill site workers walkout
Rubbish lorries were unable to dump their waste at Cardiff’s biggest tip this morning, following a walkout by workers.
The lorries were turning up at the site at Lamby Way only to find the weigh bridge blocked by workers. The workers took the action in support of two members of staff who had been disciplined. One of the men has now been moved to another job by management, amounting to a demotion, and it is this move which sparked the walk out.
Peterborough bin workers take wildcat action
Dozens of city binmen called a wildcat strike in Peterborough this morning (30 June) and are refusing to work until a pay dispute has been resolved.
About 70 workers have downed tools amid claims their city council paymasters have gone back on an agreement to pay them thousands of pounds in back pay. They say they are owed compensation as a result of a salary restructure undergone by the authority and are refusing to go back to work until the outstanding wages are paid.
"The boys are refusing to work until it is sorted," said one binman.
Corfu garbage-dump protest followup: renewed barricades met with plastic bullets by greek riot-police
20 days after the battle between residents of Lefkimi township in south Corfu and the riot-police over the construction of an open garbage-dump, renewed mobilisation of the residents is once again being met with repression and arbitrary punitive measures such as inhibiting farmers from accessing their fields.
One dead protester after barricades against open garbage-dump in south Corfu end in clashes with riot police
On the 29th of May residents of Lefkimi in Corfu erected barricades to stop the construction of an open garbage-dump near their town. Clashes with riot-police have left one dead, one parasylsed. The area is under police occupation.
The residents of Lefkimi in the south of Corfu island in greece are opposed to the construction of an Open Garbage-Dump (XYTA) near their town. The residents claimed that their marginalised, underdeveloped area known for its left-wing tradition and defience was being used as a refuse for the tourist-industry produced garbage of the north.
Glasgow bin workers in wildcat strike
170 bin workers in Glasgow took part in wildcat strike action last Friday 23rd May.
The action disrupted both refuse and recycling collections throughout the city affecting 15,000 households. Workers at the Queenslie and Eastern depots took the un-official action, claiming the council had failed to meet overtime payments of up to £4000.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
With a planetary ecological crisis on hand, it can no longer be denied that socialism will be incompatible with mass production and mass consumption. Indeed, even without returning to Malthusian catastrophe theories, we are forced to admit that the planet’s resources are not inexhaustible. These resources could provide for humanity’s needs, but only if they are used in a reasonable and rational way, i.e., in a manner directly opposed to capitalist logic, which in itself is a source of imbalance.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
by Alternative Libertaire
April 24 – hundreds of thousands to walk out
On Thursday April 24 thousands of civil servants, coastguards, council workers, FE lecturers and charity workers will join a national teachers strike of 200,000.
Employer attacks on workers' pay is the main issue at stake.
Teachers in the NUT are walking out over their pay deal which was supposed to be revised when inflation rose, but the government refused: effectively cutting their wages.
20,000 Birmingham council workers to strike
20,000 GMB, UNISON, AMICUS, TGWU (Unite) and UCATT members will strike alongside teachers and lecturers against council plans to use ‘Single Status’ negotiations to cut pay and jobs.
Council workers will be protesting against the new pay and grading system imposed by Birmingham council last week, affecting 40,000 staff.
UNISON has branded the structure discriminatory. Though it was designed to end wage inequalities, some workers will lose up to half their pay.
More strikes expected as Greece passes pension reform
Greek unions promise to continue protests against the government's pension reforms, passed on Thursday.
The pension reform raises the retirement age for women to 65 and workers in hazardous industries will have to work an extra two years. Many accuse the conservative government of going back on pre-election promises not to cut pension rights.
