'May still be an impact' - South Tyneside Council issue fresh bin strike advice

Now that the four-day strike action taken by GMB and Unite trade union members has ended, South Tyneside council has confirmed collection of grey household, blue recycling, green garden and trade waste bins will resume from Tuesday, November 21.

However, the Council expects there may still be an impact on the delivery of some services when operatives return to work due to the action short of strike undertaken in the lead up to week of full-scale industrial action.

Residents are advised to put their bins out on their usual collection dates. There will be no catch-up service. Dates can be checked using the online bin calendar at the council's website.

If bins are not collected on their scheduled day, it is advised residents should put their bins out on the following day.

A Council spokesperson said: “We understand it has been a difficult time for both residents and businesses due to the action taken by GMB and Unite trade union members.

“Although services resume, we expect there will still be some disruption to collections as operatives return to work. We will be doing everything we can to get as many bins as possible emptied, and on time.

“We appeal for patience during this time and continue to ask residents to reduce their waste as much as possible, continue to recycle responsibly and present their bins in the normal way.”

The Recycling Village at Middlefields Industrial Estate remains open to support people with any excess waste they may have, with extra booking slots made available for November.

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The industrial action related to operational issues raised earlier this year.

All matters raised in the complaint are being considered by the independent investigator and the outcome of the investigation is expected shortly.

The Council spokesperson added: “We were disappointed that the GMB and Unite unions went ahead with their planned industrial action before the outcome of the independent investigation. However, we remain committed to resolving matters through ongoing dialogue including planned ACAS conciliation as agreed with Trade Unions.”

The Recycling Village will be open every day from 9am to 6pm. Slots can be booked online.