THE council will be meeting with Unite later this week in the hope of bringing the bin strikes to an end.

The meeting will be between Warrington Borough Council and all three trade unions, Unite, GMB, and Unison.

It comes after the High Court ruled that the bin strikes can continue, and there seems to be no end in sight with them expected to go on until at least Christmas Eve.

In a letter to colleagues, seen by the Warrington Guardian, chief executive of WBC Steven Broomhead said that the council is committed to ‘meaningful consultation and negotiations’ to respond to individual issues as they are raised.

He also said that the council, which ‘regrets the disruption and impact the dispute is having on residents and businesses’, is considering its position on whether it should appeal the High Court decision.

In the letter, Mr Broomhead acknowledged the ‘unacceptable’ environmental situation that Warrington is in due to the bin strikes.

It reads: “The environmental situation the borough has been placed in as a result of this dispute is not acceptable and we will do all that is possible for the matter to be resolved quickly and effectively in a way that is affordable given the financial challenges all councils face in the short and medium term. 

“We understand the frustrations of our residents and are doing what we can to provide support within the resources we have available.

“We have set up two additional househould waste drop-offs which have been well-used so far, and complement the extended opening hours of our three community recycling centres.”

Mr Broomhead also said how the council has established good and cooperative relationships with trade unions which it wants to continue into 2024 and beyond.

Unite has recently sent a letter to residents sharing its petition which is calling on the council to ‘resume talks to find a resolution’ to the dispute.

It said that members will be out in the local area speaking to the community about the strikes while asking them to sign the petition.

It can be found here.