Suez Bin collectors in Swale and Ashford could strike

The GMB union will ballot its members in these areas today

It follows months of disruption
Author: Joshua BaileyPublished 29th Jul 2024

Suez bin collectors in Swale and Ashford could go on strike.

The dispute is over pay, with workers claiming they earn less than the company's employees in Maidstone, who are doing the same work.

Today, the GMB union will ballot its members in these areas.

It follows months of disruption, with the waste firm failing to collect some residents rubbish for weeks and months.

Those issues have now been resolved, but strikes could see residents' rubbish piling up again and those living in Sittingbourne have been speaking to us.

Hayley said: "We didn't have our bins emptied from April till June and now we've just all of a sudden started having them emptied again.

"If they're planning going strike, it will just make things worse. With two children, animals and summer, it's not going to be great."

Fiona said: "Despair... it's not great, but i don't know... you just feel powerless, it's frustrating but from their point of view I do understand."

Gary and Julie said: "If you're doing literally the same job you should be getting the same money, pardon the pun... but that's rubbish, Julie laughs, and adds, "I do agree but we will be stuck with all the rubbish, I guess we can just do what we did last time and take it all to the tip. "

Suez did not wish to comment further on it but confirm that it was aware of the strike ballot.

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