Wiltshire’s bin collectors have voted for strike action with the first day of disruption expected on Monday 28th February. 98 per cent of workers balloted at Hills Waste Solutions supported taking the action in protest over a 2 per cent pay rise. The GMB Union, which represents the staff at Hills, have given the statutory 14 days notice of a strike and said that it anticipated further days of action in March.
Gary Palmer, a regional organiser for the GMB Union, urged Wiltshire Council itself to take action. Mr Palmer said: “Perhaps Wiltshire Council should consider intervening here by insisting that Hills do the right thing and ensure that our members get the decent pay rise that all key workers should be receiving. Instead, they have been announcing a service redesign and round changes which will see our members’ workloads increase and therefore their pay shrink. There is a mutually agreeable outcome out there, and GMB will work with Hills to find it on behalf of our members, but we will need Hills to commit fully, and to stop with their insulting offers.”
A statement from Hills said: “Hills Municipal Collections is disappointed that GMB have balloted members on industrial action without first fully engaging in negotiations with the company on our 2021/22 pay review offer and not acting in accordance with the Tri-Union recognition agreement with the company.”
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