Binmen postpone strike

Dec 24 2009 Chester Chronicle

BINMEN in Chester have called off a strike scheduled to take place next week.

The Bumpers Lane-based refuse collector struck last Friday in protest at a 1% pay offer but action planned for Tuesday (December 29) has been postponed.

The GMB union says spare capacity meant it did not feel a strike on that day would have had the necessary impact. It says further strike dates are planned for the new year.

Regional organiser Marie Saunderson said members were unhappy because they are already earning £2.75 an hour less than workers doing the same job in Liverpool and Ellesmere Port.

Hailing the action as a success, she said: “It cost the company money to cover the dispute.”

Employer Focsa, which drafted in managers and supervisors to cover the work last Friday, said there was no disruption to collections.

A company spokesman said: “The service was delivered by managers from head office and as far as I’m aware the service was delivered exactly as it would have been on any other day.”

The spokesman said it was “complete news” to him that there was any inequality in the rates of pay.