Bin strike ultimatum sent out to refuse workers as South Tyneside Council calls time on pause

The Shields Gazette has been shown a letter from South Tyneside Council to workers in its Waste Department to call on them to return to “normal working practices”.

It follows months of disruption due to an industrial dispute that has been ongoing since last year following claims of “bullying and a toxic work culture”.

Read more: Domestic waste collections to be prioritised in South Tyneside throughout the summer

Industrial action had been suspended from early May following the implementation of a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

However, South Tyneside Council has informed workers in the letter that the MOU is no longer in place following the GMB’s decision to ballot members over further strike action.

The MOU between South Tyneside Council and the GMB agreed that all industrial action would be stood down and the workforce would return to “normal and established working practices” for an eight-week period to allow for an action plan to be implemented.

The letter to workers states: “The Council believes there has been a number of fundamental breaches of the terms of the MOU, and the Council consequently no longer considers that it is bound by those terms.

“In short, the terms of the MOU no longer apply.”

South Tyneside Council has also called on the workforce to “revert back to normal duties” and has asked each member of staff to sign a document to say if they will or will not return to “usual practices”.

These “normal duties” include “pulling two bins at a time, weight dependent and subject to a dynamic risk assessment”.

GMB members have previously stated that they shouldn’t have been doing this due to it being a breach of health and safety regulations.

The local authority has stated that if “normal duties” are not resumed, then it could be deemed as a breach of contract - with the Council “reserving the right to consider the options available”.

The letter adds: “The Council must be able to provide a complete and efficient waste collection service to the residents of South Tyneside.

“In light of the multiple and fundamental breaches of the MOU referred to above, the Council will now do everything necessary to reduce the impact and clear the backlogs of work and waste that requires collection as a direct result of the workforce’s current working practices.

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“We must all play our part. I would ask that you consider the impact you are having on our residents and on the reputation of our wonderful borough.

“We have communicated with your union that this continued practice represents partial performance of your contractual obligations, and/or a potential breach of contract and the Council reserves the right to consider the options available should this practice continue.”