No end in sight over Christmas waste row

There have been no discussions between the GMB union and waste collection company SITA since the Guardian revealed that talks broke down between the two parties last week.

Refuse collectors are unhappy that they will not be paid at Bank Holiday rates on the three days they are required to work over the Christmas period.

Vale Royal's union representative Jim Cairns, whom SITA refused to meet last week because he had taken his complaints to the Press, said a number of options were open to workers if they voted to take industrial action.

He said: "We could take action, up to and including strike action, but that is the last thing anyone wants.

"There could also be a ban on overtime, which would mean workers would come in whether the job was finished or not. There could also be a work to rule."

Vale Royal's Labour group has accused the borough council of trying to pull the wool over people's eyes following a consultation exercise on the new kerbside recycling scheme.

Clr Arthur Neil, Labour's deputy leader, said many of the comments on the results of the questionnaire were loaded and the way the figures had been compiled varied according to what the administration wanted to hear.

He took issue with the comment that 'only 20 per cent' of householders regularly took rubbish to household waste sites.

Clr Neil said: "Only 20 per cent in this instance means a fifth of householders or about 10,000 people having to take their own refuse despite paying their Council Tax for a waste collection service."

He said the true figure could actually be 76 per cent, which would add up to 40,000 households taking their refuse to the tip."

A spokesman for Vale Royal Borough Council said: "Obviously figures can be interpreted in different ways but we are confident that the new kerbside recycling scheme is working and that the initial difficulties have been overcome."

rbabington@guardiangrp.co.uk