Bin strikes halted as talks between South Tyneside Council and GMB progress

South Tyneside Council has revealed that upcoming bin strikes have been halted following ongoing talks with the GMB union to end the nine-month long industrial dispute.

It is understood that the GMB has agreed to stand down strike action, which was due to start on July 2, as talks with the local authority continue.

At the start of June, the GMB warned of an indefinite strike period as the dispute relating to a “bullying and a toxic work culture” continued.

The GMB currently has two ‘dispute’ ballots in place - one that runs to October and another that runs until December.

The Council say it is anticipated that no further strike dates or action short of strike will take place on either of those mandates, with the GMB set to engage with its members with a view to any further industrial action.

A spokesperson for South Tyneside Council said: “By working together, and through open dialogue, we have managed to halt the action planned for next week.

“Discussions will continue, with a view to step down all strike action proposed for July.

“We know that residents will feel that we have been here before, only a few months ago in fact, but they can be reassured that the Council is, and always has been, determined to provide this vital service to residents.

“We have never stepped away from dialogue and have done everything we can to reach the agreement we have in place today.

“Now that strike action has been stood down for next week, including any action short of strike, we will move to deliver on an agreed set of actions with the shared ambition to bring about an end to the dispute once and for all.

“Whilst this has been a lengthy and protracted process, it is important that the workforce came forward and have been heard. We have gone to great lengths to engage with and listen to their concerns and to address them.

“We’ve got an action plan that gives all parties a constructive way forward and we are already delivering on key areas like re-balancing the collections routes, improving PPE, increased engagement, and improved communication.

“We are confident that everyone is on board to implement the improvements to the service and the working conditions that the workforce has asked for.

“Of course, we acknowledge and understand the disruption the industrial action has caused, and we thank everyone for their patience during what has been a challenging period for the borough.

“It will take some weeks to work through the waste backlog and hope to have that period of stability to restore the service.

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

“We thank the workforce in advance for their efforts to get collection patterns back on track.”

Earlier this month, South Tyneside Council stated that collections will be focused on grey household waste bins only and this remains in place.

Residents in the borough should present their bin every day until it is collected.

South Tyneside Council has stated that it aims to move back to a normal collection pattern as soon as possible pending GMB’s action over the coming week.

For the period that grey household waste remains a priority, the Council has doubled the number of recycling sites in the borough for dry recyclable materials.

The Recycling Village at Middlefields Industrial Estate has 650 slots available every day. To book a slot at the Recycling Village visit: www.southtyneside.gov.uk/recyclingvillage.