Last-minute talks were being held to try to avoid a week-long strike by Newham bin staff as Newham Voices went to press.

The waste and recycling staff members of the Unite union voted almost unanimously – 99 per cent in favour – to hold a week-long strike from Saturday 27 to Saturday 3 September.

Unite is calling for a ‘significant’ pay increase for its Newham members who they say are paid almost £2,000 less than workers in neighbouring councils.

However, the council says it has made an offer that covers improved conditions but it is not able to make pay awards in isolation at Newham because it is bound by national negotiations.

Steve Edwards, Unite regional officer, told ITV London that Newham Council still has time to avoid a bin strike and both sides were holding ongoing talks with the help of ACAS – the national body that works to resolve workplace disputes.

Newham Council says their salary negotiation offer would increase the salary of bin staff by 9.7 percent to £25,212 and for drivers by 7.6 percent to £31,731, but this would not bridge the current gap between Newham workers and others doing similar work elsewhere.

This story was originally published on our September print edition and was updated on 1 September 2022.

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