GMB Union has today announced a three-week strike action of refuse workers at Blaby District Council.
Fifty refuse staff at the authority are anticipated to join the strike action after council top brass ignored union attempts to initiate negotiations in the dispute.
Strike action will see as many at 50,000 households go without refuse collections on Tuesday 1st to Friday 18th August.
David Warwick, GMB Organiser said:
“Blaby’s refuse workers are only asking for a wage that lets them raise a family and pay the bills.
“Instead of addressing the cause of the strike, council bosses instead instructed local workers to use a foodbank if their wages were too low.
“The council have tried to throw sand in the eyes of local people by claiming the authority is already dealing with the issue, but this is outright untrue.
“The fact of the matter is that low pay is driving local refuse workers to the breadline and Blaby is fast gaining the reputation as Leicestershire’s low pay capital.
“Our members have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from local people here in Blaby; they know refuse workers are standing up for themselves in the face of a council committed to driving down wages.”