Unite blasts management for attempting to exploit failures rooted in short staffing to pursue their long-term aim of ending ‘task and finish’

Unite the union which represents waste collection workers at Fermanagh and Omagh council has objected to a statement released by the council on its website which blamed failures of waste bin collections on “legacy work practices”.

This misrepresentation is an attempt to use a crisis caused by staffing shortages resulting from their own policies to advance their long-term objective of ending ‘task and finish’.

Task and finish is widely understood as being the most efficient way to organise waste bin collections as it encourages workers to commence bin runs early to avoid rush-hour delays and to proceed swiftly through the work. In other councils where task and finish has been replaced by a system of fixed hourly pay, the experience has been that bins are left uncollected at the end of the day.

Unite regional officer for the workforce Gareth Scott, said:“ Fermanagh and Omagh council is intent on using the failure to collect bins – caused by their own poor policies – to attack the longstanding practice of bin workers being paid under ‘task and finish’. The reality is that without task and finish the situation in waste collection would be far worse as the current system encourages workers to complete the collections in the most efficient manner.

“Instead of trying to scapegoat bin workers, the council should review how its policies have created a crisis where staffing and resourcing is insufficient to deliver a frontline service. Far from being a cause of the problem, task and finish is the most efficient way to conduct waste collections. The waste collection workers are committed to delivering a first-class service to the public.”

ENDS…