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9:39pm Tuesday 6th May 2008
AROUND 15,000 homes will not have their bins emptied this week as council workers go on strike.
Hundreds of Blackburn with Darwen Council staff have walked out for tomorrow and Thursday in the ongoing row over wages.
The strike will mean around a fifth of homes who have their household rubbish collected on a Wednesday and Thursday will not have their bins emptied.
And temperatures are expected to hit their highest so far this year, 22 degrees celsius, prompting health and hygiene fears.
Thousands of the affected homes are on fortnightly collections, meaning householders will be left with three-weeks of rubbish until their collections resume next week.
The controversial job evaluation process, a bid to end inequalities between men and women's pay, has seen 1,266 of the council's 5,800 staff facing wage cuts.
About 300 members of the Transport and General Workers section of Unite, who include refuse collectors, gardeners, street cleaners and school caretakers are to take part in the action.
Workers will protest outside Blackburn town hall and at the direct services department depot in Davyfield Road.
The authority said the only services hit by the strike will be rubbish collections, and recycling services, which are carried out by a private contractor, will continue as normal.
T&G spokesperson Roz Shepherd said: "I think this will cause a lot of disruption to services, but that is the point we are trying to make.
"I don't want to see staff losing money. They are on protection for 12 months but beyond that they stand to lose out. There will be a substantial amount of losers.I also want to see the 90-day dismissal notices recinded for those who did not sign up to the new pay line. "
The strike may also be resumed next week if workers feel a resoltuion has been reached.
Graham Burgess, chief executive said: "We have plans in place to keep any impact on services to a minimum and have scheduled further meetings with Unite to try and resolve this issue. We are pleased that the GMB have decided to try and resolve any differences through dialogue and hope that Unite will decide to do the same."
The council said that bin collections will be affected in locations throughout the borough.
The council said collection routes are not limited to distinct areas of the borough but take in large areas across Blackburn and Darwen.
Over 24,000 houses out of 60,000 in the borough are still on fortnightly waste collections.
Proposed strike action by GMB members was postponed on Friday after last ditch talks with Blackburn with Darwen Council chief executive Graham Burgess.
GMB organiser Graham Coxon agreed to the council's request to suspend the action while the council demonstrated its plans to alleviate the loss suffered by workers.
Members have been sent letters explaining that the strike has been postponed until June 16.
Last month the Lancashire Telegraph revealed the hundreds of staff who already earned less than £15,000 a year were facing cuts, and more than half of the 1,266 'losers' would have their salaries cut by more than 10 per cent.
A letter sent to council staff has warned them they will be sacked if they do not agree to the new terms and conditions within 90 days.
The government has told all councils to make changes to ensure roles traditionally held by women, such as carers, are paid on the same level as jobs like street cleaners and gardeners.
The changes follow a review of 5,500 council jobs, and bosses say 24 per cent of salaries will go down, 46 per cent increase, and the remaining 30 per cent stay the same.
TAX PAYER, LOWER DARWEN says...
9:48pm Tue 6 May 08
Peanut, Bubble says...
9:49pm Tue 6 May 08
Paul, Blackburn says...
10:34pm Tue 6 May 08
che, cuba says...
10:44pm Tue 6 May 08
Shaz, says...
6:27am Wed 7 May 08
FRANK..Jr.., says...
6:36am Wed 7 May 08
Shaz wrote:your in the wrong town here matey
The council doesn\'t seem to be doing much for Bolton except adding fines and increasing taxes and making our lifes harder!!! I dont see any benefit from the council.....Cliff Morris .....I voted for you and I want to see action!!! This Rubbish will add to the increasing rubbish of todays Youth who are terrorising Bolton and crime is increasing..... with alcohol being the fuel to such behaviour.
stooball66, backburn says...
7:16am Wed 7 May 08
H Nelson, Blackburn says...
10:52am Wed 7 May 08
B & D, burnley says...
10:53am Wed 7 May 08
TAX PAYER wrote:you can tell you dont work for council.get in touch with your MP.
WELL I CERTAINLY WILL NOT BE PAYING MY COUNCIL TAX AND I WILL RING THE COUNCIL TOMORROW AND TELL THEM.... this is outrageous....
B & D, Burnley says...
10:58am Wed 7 May 08
H Nelson wrote:YEP BIN MEN ONLY WORK WEN IT SUNNY.May be if you worked for the council You would know why they are going on strike........
Typical, the nicest weather we have had all year and now our bin men go out on strike. These unions should hang their heads in shame. Whilst the rest of us have to work they are all sunning themselves. Roll on the return of the Tories that's what I say, the unions need taking down a peg or two again like Maggie did and I for one can't wait to see it happen.
B & D, Burnley says...
11:02am Wed 7 May 08
stooball66 wrote:spot on.I agree
GUD ON YER STAY OUT ON STRIKE TILL YOU WIN NEVER HAVE I HEARD OF A EMPLOYER REDUCING WAGES (except when the employees agree to these measures so as to safegaurd there jobs)no to hell with the bins being emptied you stick it out till you get justice tell this idiot in charge to go fook himself.
Ian the Beancounter, Darwen says...
11:07am Wed 7 May 08
stooball66 wrote:For once, I agree with you, Pat!!
GUD ON YER STAY OUT ON STRIKE TILL YOU WIN NEVER HAVE I HEARD OF A EMPLOYER REDUCING WAGES (except when the employees agree to these measures so as to safegaurd there jobs)no to hell with the bins being emptied you stick it out till you get justice tell this idiot in charge to go fook himself.
cate, says...
11:42am Wed 7 May 08
stooball66 wrote:i agree too. and to TAXPAYER, like ya wasnt warned this was gonna happen??????? they have the right to a fare wage same as u
GUD ON YER STAY OUT ON STRIKE TILL YOU WIN NEVER HAVE I HEARD OF A EMPLOYER REDUCING WAGES (except when the employees agree to these measures so as to safegaurd there jobs)no to hell with the bins being emptied you stick it out till you get justice tell this idiot in charge to go fook himself.
Lee, scruffy blackburn says...
1:19pm Wed 7 May 08
Michael Howard, Darwen says...
1:43pm Wed 7 May 08
Lee wrote:Too right Lee. I have heard they don't go out until they have all had a game of darts and pool at the depot as well as a brew and bacon butty. Now we have the warm weather they are out sunning themselves. I say let's privatise the bin collections like other areas do, then the unions won't be able to strike and we will at last get some value for our council tax.
Empty my bins you greedy bin men mabe if you did a full days work your wages would not be reduced. i drive down the m65 every day and all the wagons are out at 7.30am and back in by 2.00pm = 6.5 hours worked.
deano, Darwen says...
3:38pm Wed 7 May 08
Michael Howard wrote:Why is this all about the binmen. The binmen work task and finish working through breaks and also their dinner to get finish at an earlier time. What is sad is that the only visible manifestation of todays strike is the binmen. This indicates that a lot of the other council departments who are also striking have no or little impact on the lives of ordinary individuals. In fact it is these departments who through cronyism have over inflated their colleauges wages to the point that when they were appraised it was found that they had been paid too much for too long. The reult of which was that for some individuals the wages were readjusted in order to bring them into line with a fair days work for a fair days pay. Don't forget that these paper shufflers also sit in non-hazardous, offices, behind closed doors, doing very little, whilst expecting to retire early on a good pension paid for by taxpayers. If these people where to work like me in the private sector they would count there blessings and be grateful that they got away with it for so long.
Lee wrote: Empty my bins you greedy bin men mabe if you did a full days work your wages would not be reduced. i drive down the m65 every day and all the wagons are out at 7.30am and back in by 2.00pm = 6.5 hours worked.Too right Lee. I have heard they don\'t go out until they have all had a game of darts and pool at the depot as well as a brew and bacon butty. Now we have the warm weather they are out sunning themselves. I say let\'s privatise the bin collections like other areas do, then the unions won\'t be able to strike and we will at last get some value for our council tax.
Brian Todd, Blackburn says...
3:52pm Wed 7 May 08
mrs s, darwen says...
5:03pm Wed 7 May 08
roland rat, a bin near you says...
5:27pm Wed 7 May 08
kara miller, blackburn says...
5:33pm Wed 7 May 08
anon, blackburn says...
5:34pm Wed 7 May 08
Barry, Mill Hill says...
5:38pm Wed 7 May 08
a disgruntled Blackburn resident, Blackburn says...
5:50pm Wed 7 May 08
Blossom, Blackburn says...
6:22pm Wed 7 May 08
get a grip, roadside says...
6:22pm Wed 7 May 08
Paul, Blackburn says...
6:36pm Wed 7 May 08
Jay, In your face says...
6:44pm Wed 7 May 08
asif khan audley, Blackburn says...
6:54pm Wed 7 May 08
debs, b/burn says...
7:36pm Wed 7 May 08
COUNCIL REBEL, says...
9:00pm Wed 7 May 08
get a grip wrote:What planet are you on! That is incorrect BWDBC don't even pay half of that.
like the poster above said, it would be good to know what they earn. a quick google search states they earn between 30k and 50k a year. too much for wheeling a bin from pavement to the road and back, if u ask me. http://wiki.answers. com/Q/What_does_a_bi n_man_earn
soap opera, coronation st says...
9:43pm Wed 7 May 08
Fact, says...
9:47pm Wed 7 May 08
like the poster above said, it would be good to know what they earn. a quick google search states they earn between 30k and 50k a year. too much for wheeling a bin from pavement to the road and back, if u ask me.bold
http://wiki.answers.
com/Q/What_does_a_bi
n_man_earn
get a grip, checkin yr bin says...
9:48pm Wed 7 May 08
COUNCIL REBEL wrote:oh gosh you mean you get paid for the actual hours you work?? what more do you want. the way you have explained it is completely fair. of course you should be paid pro rota, if you dont do 37 hrs. you want paying for hours you dont work?? and no you shouldnt get paid over 52 weeks cos you dont collect my feckin rubbish 52 weeks of the year. if you are demoralised or feel undervalued i suggest you look at the jobs pages this week and find another job. nobody is forcing you to do your job. i am sure your contract has a clause which says you may terminate your employment. there are plenty of people who are waiting to take your place. i bet theres loads of people who wouldnt mind pushing a bin from pavement to road and back. and finally, you still haven't revealed the pay that the bin men get. at least i provided a link to show where i got my figures from. so over to you, put up or shut up. and sort my refund out if you aint collecting my crap, remember, im paying your wages!!
get a grip wrote: like the poster above said, it would be good to know what they earn. a quick google search states they earn between 30k and 50k a year. too much for wheeling a bin from pavement to the road and back, if u ask me. http://wiki.answers. com/Q/What_does_a_bi n_man_earnWhat planet are you on! That is incorrect BWDBC don't even pay half of that. Then all BWD pay is pro rota. Which means there is 37 hours in a working week.You get payed for the hours you work divided by the 37. Then you times this figure and by the way not by 52 as you have to then divide your working weeks by 52. Then times it.May I remind you it is not just bin men on strike but all those in that UNION who have been affected by this stupid pay and reward!Maybe the people who actually earn less should have been the winners in the first place ! GOOD LUCK WITH IT. But we know from the meetings we have had that no discussion exists, appeals are slightly won in the fact they move your increment level only but you are still left demorlised and undervalved in whatever capacity you work for with BWDBC.They havent listened if all the workforced who wer p****d off with thid did walk out. Then that would be something! SOLIDARITY
TRACEY, DARWEN says...
9:50pm Wed 7 May 08
Fact, says...
9:52pm Wed 7 May 08
soap opera, coronation st says...
9:53pm Wed 7 May 08
TRACEY wrote:wait for the fine to come through the door for your bin being out on the wrong day
MY OUR BINS ARE GOING OUT TONIGHT READY FOR COLLECTION IN MORNIN AND THEY'LL STAY THERE TILL THEY'RE EMPTIED ONLY WE'LL ADD TO IT EACH DAY then the streets will need cleaning also JUST MAKING MORE WORK
bettlebug, bins says...
9:54pm Wed 7 May 08
Fact wrote:Over 15k for moving wheelie bins?? I must say I agree with the council I'm afraid. it does seem a tad high. 90 days notice is also a bit excessive, tell them to sort themselves out with a months notice. We should stop bowing to demands made by these strikers holding us to ransom.
like the poster above said, it would be good to know what they earn. a quick google search states they earn between 30k and 50k a year. too much for wheeling a bin from pavement to the road and back, if u ask me. http://wiki.answers. com/Q/What_does_a_bi n_man_earnbold I AM AFRAID WIKI .ANSWERS IS WAY OFF THE MARK.These workers are striking because they have had wage cuts, and to add insult to injury have been issued with 90 days notice if they do not accept what the ruling junta dicate. Let me give you some examples of these cuts. Ground Maintenance from £14141, down to £ 12291. Refuse Collectors from £ 16459 down to £ 15153. Street Cleansing down from £ 15625 to £ 13338. Nursery Nurses down from £ 14493 to £ 12694. How does these salaries compare with the top people earning £ 140k, then asking for a 10% bonus for doing their job properly.Perhaps Councillors Lee, Rigby, Melia or Foster would like to deny these cuts.
get a grip, your bin says...
9:58pm Wed 7 May 08
Fact wrote:very mature comment. if you want to debate at least have an argument. as i have already stated, no one is forced to do the job. if you dont like it, find another job. you are taking a job that someone else may want. they wont moan. like it or lump it as they say. government and local council workers have had it too easy for too long.
I suggest " Get a Grip" goes onto the Council website and looks at the jobs.The he will see the salaries paid to those at the lower end. Perhaps with all the c### he is spouting he would need a bin wagon for himself
mick cassidy, blackburn says...
11:14pm Wed 7 May 08
Jayne, says...
11:23pm Wed 7 May 08
john, blackburn says...
11:31pm Wed 7 May 08
Paul wrote:this councillor earns 5k a year-would you put in 30/40 unsociable hours a week for that pittance?
Its about time we started supporting these workers, If this was happening to post workers or your works you would definately crave support. from what I can gather its about a company tearing up thier workers contract. what kind of society are we to allow this to happen to anybody? they are people just like you and me whos trying to get by in life maybe bring up a family and do the best in life, have a heart. If your bins don\\\'t get emptied, ring your councillor to try to resolve the matter thats why we pay them lots of money, and thats not being affected but increased.
Mick Pearson, Blackburn says...
11:38pm Wed 7 May 08
potfat, Darwen says...
4:06pm Thu 8 May 08
IAN, says...
5:58pm Thu 8 May 08
FRANK..JR.., says...
7:13pm Thu 8 May 08
get a grip, bin lorry says...
8:36pm Thu 8 May 08
IAN wrote:Well good luck in the factory job application mate, although I would suggest you spell better on your application form. Just for the record, before you feck off to pastures new, can you explain at what point exactly did you get forced into becoming a binman? Did you not realise at the time of applying that you would be working in all weathers or be subjected to bad smells? If you don't like it, which you obviously don't, then go and do something else. I'm sure the factory boss will pay you the money you deserve for the hard work that you intend to do.
WHAT DO YOU ALL NO,DO YOU LIKE RATS JUMPING OVER YOU HEAD,DO YOU LIKE NEEDLES STICKING IN YOU,DO YOU LIKE BAD SMELLS,DO YOU LIKE DISEASES.OK YOU CAN DO MY JOB CAUSE AM LEAVING THE COUNCIL AND GOING INTO A FACTORY,HOPE TO SEE YOU DOING THESE PLEASANT JOBS IN ALL WEATHERS.NO YOU WOULDNT,SUPPORT THE COUNCIL WORKERS AND LETS GET ON WITH ARE OWN JOBS
Sweaty, the beach says...
3:11pm Fri 9 May 08
Sweaty, the beach says...
3:12pm Fri 9 May 08
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TAX PAYER, LOWER DARWEN says...
9:45pm Tue 6 May 08