Glasgow city council has accused GMB of “not paying attention” to waste management investment in the city, after the trade union claimed budget cuts were creating poor working conditions for refuse collectors.
The two have been in a war of words in recent months, with the council accusing the union of holding a “fraudulent” position on waste management, while the GMB Union has regularly highlighted what it sees as a “shameful” waste management service.
Glasgow council also faced criticism from Labour leader Kier Starmer in recent weeks, who said the city has a “waste crisis” on its hands (see letsrecycle.com story).
The latest GMB comments came in a letter sent to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on behalf of refuse workers in Glasgow, in which it blamed “Tory austerity” for poor working conditions and a lack of resources to keep streets clean.
Letter
The GMB letter, which the union sent to letsrecycle.com, said: “We are now well beyond the stage in Glasgow where cuts to services can be overlooked. Now you really can see the effects of these austerity measures which are having a huge impact on people’s standards of living.
“At this minute many families cannot cope with the three-weekly cycle for our rubbish collection- many have to jump on their bins just to ensure that their lid can shut and prevent rubbish spilling out onto the streets. People are struggling to do any more to recycle their waste without adequate support and investment.”
However in a statement sent to letsrecycle.com yesterday (17 August), the council argued that the GMB’s position on waste management is “fraudulent” and accused it of “showboating for social media likes”.
‘Most concerning’
A spokesman for the council said: “It is plain the GMB is not paying attention to what is going on in Glasgow. So far they have missed the £7m investment in new hydrogen-powered bin lorries that will soon be in service in Glasgow, the £10m invested in household bin services, the 20 new mechanical street sweepers now in operation, the £6m spent on new street bins and the fact the cleansing budget has actually risen by over 20% in the last six years.
“But what is most concerning is that the GMB doesn’t even appear to be aware of the new Resources and Recycling Strategy as agreed by all parties represented at the council.”
The council went on to explain how the strategy will reduce the waste produced by the city while increasing the amount of materials that are reused and recycled.
Glasgow currently has a recycling rate of 25%.
“Rather than showboating for social media likes, it would be useful if the GMB actually sat down for the constructive dialogue they say they want and discuss how to put into practice a democratically-agreed waste policy that is vital for the future of the city.”
- Glasgow city council
Clash
It is not the first time the trade union and the council have clashed.
The GMB previously protested against the three-weekly residual waste collection cycle, implemented by the council in February this year.
The trade union said that it created poor working conditions for refuse workers, however the council defended its decision, saying it the service would encourage residents to recycle more (see letsrecycle.com story).
The post Glasgow and GMB clash again over waste service appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
