A Sheffield waste collection service has disputed allegations that it has been recruiting agency staff to collect bins, while its workers continue to strike.
In a press release published on its website in October, Unite, the largest trade union in the UK, had accused Veolia of employing agency workers in Sheffield.
In a bid to disrupt this practice, strikers at the Lumley Street bin depot have since returned to work on a part-time basis.
Sharon Graham, general secretary for the union, said: “Veolia’s absolute refusal to negotiate, its outright dismissal of a reasonable pay claim, and its use of agency strike-breakers means Unite’s tactics will now seek to cause maximum disruption.
“Enough is enough.”
Unite’s members, referred to by some as the ‘Lumley Street Warriors,’ have been engaged in all-out strike since August 2024, when they first demanded that Veolia recognise their union.
With the last recognition offer having been withdrawn just under a year ago, workers at the Lumley Street depot are continuing to fight for their needs to be met.
Beth Whittaker, chief HR officer for Veolia Northern Europe, said that Veolia has not used agency labour to replace striking workers and described the strike as “an inter-union dispute, which Unite could end tomorrow”.
She said: “Unite is changing tack and moving towards a route that they say will cause maximum disruption for Sheffield residents. But, for more than a year, Veolia has navigated Unite’s continuous strike action, with teams working incredibly hard to minimise any disruption to residents’ collections and this will continue to be our focus.
“We will continue to stand against Unite’s campaign of defamation and remain eager to see a resolution that will enable our colleagues to return to work.”
(Source: Alistair Tice)
Veolia maintains that, if it recognises Unite, GMB Union, which holds majority membership at the depot, has promised to launch a counter-dispute, bringing the company’s waste collection services to a halt across the city.
Meanwhile, the strikers have refuted any claims that this is an inter-union dispute, arguing that it is the company’s responsibility to respond to their demands.
“It’s not another union that recognises a union, it’s an employer that recognises a union,” Chris Lamming, 58, said on the picket line.
“A few lads have gone back because of mental health issues. It has been tough financially and mentally.”
