Trelleborg workers on strike last month
Refuse workers in Somerset are voting on whether to strike against Suez. Bosses only offered the 200 Unite union members 5.8 percent. They are voting until Wednesday of next week.
The workers collect waste on a contract tendered by Somerset Waste Partnerships, operated by the council. Drivers earn just £13.63 an hour and loaders are on £10.98.
Meanwhile in Bristol more than 200 bin workers employed by Bristol Waste, owned by the council, are voting on whether to walk out.
The workers collect bins, clean the streets and operate household waste and recycling centres.
Bosses offered a 17-month pay offer of 7 percent or £2,000. The vote closes on Tuesday of next week.
Bin workers are set to cause a stink this summer in the south west of England.
In South Gloucestershire 150 workers are set to strike from Monday to Sunday of next week. Then they plan to walk out from 26 June to 9 July.
The Unite union members voted to strike by 89 percent after bosses offered an 8 percent pay rise. The loaders currently get £11.53 an hour. Suez runs the refuse service on half of South Gloucestershire council.
Solihull parks and cemetery workers are set to strike in a pay dispute. Dozens of ground maintenance crews working for contractor Idverde will walk out for two weeks from 3 July and 10 July.
A strike ballot saw 100 percent vote for strikes on a 70 t turnout.
Workers are angry because Idverde, which took over the contract from Amey last year, is trying to impose a real-terms pay cut.
Sandwell refuse workers began strikes this week after they rejected a real-terms pay cut offer. They planned action on Monday to Thursday this week and Monday to Friday next week.
Outsourcer Serco Sandwell has refused to meet the rate of inflation so far in pay offers.
The industrial action covers those working on street cleansing, waste sites, waste collections—drivers and loaders—administration and the transfer station.
Workers at the seal manufacturing company Trelleborg have voted to end their strike. The 200 Unite union members based in Tewkesbury and Bridgwater accepted a deal that equates to 11 percent over two years. Bosses originally offered them 5.2 percent. The strikers accepted an 8 percent pay rise in the first year and 3 percent in the second year.
Unite will renegotiate the second year deal if inflation is above 5 percent. The workers struck for four days at the beginning of May.
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