Disruption to bin collection to continue as Armagh depot workforce enters fifth week of strikes over dismissal of shop steward

Refuse workers employed by Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council are calling for a rebate to ratepayers affected by their strike action. The call was made as their all-out, continuous, strike action called in response to the dismissal of a shop steward enters its fifth week.

Over the period of the dispute the council has saved a huge sum on wages, fuel costs and landfill charges while workers have lost income and residents in the Armagh and Cusher areas have been left with bins uncollected for weeks. The bin workers are calling on the council to provide a compensation payment to ratepaying householders for the absence of council services and the disruption that has resulted from the strike.

The blame for the strike lies squarely at the feet of council management who have adopted an aggressive approach to Unite and its reps– a situation culminating in the dismissal of a Unite shop steward based at the Armagh depot.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Our members are determined to defend their reps – they know that an attack on reps is always followed by an attack on workers’ jobs, pay, terms and conditions.

“Our members have been left with no alternative but to take all-out strike action to defend themselves and their union. Unite is in total support of the strike action being taken by ABC bin collection workers.”

As part of their campaign demanding a rates rebate for affected householders, the union will be seeking support from local councillors in the Armagh and Cusher district electoral areas.

Unite regional Officer Brenda Stevenson said, “Council management has caused this strike action. They are solely to blame for the disruption that is being caused – and they could end it tomorrow if they end their anti union approach.

“We will be demanding local councillors provide a compensatory payment to ratepaying householders while householders and workers have been left to suffer by council management actions, the council itself is gaining a huge amount financially from this dispute.”