Chesterfield bin strike called off after workers accept 7.5% pay rise

Workers at Chesterfield Veolia Environmental Services unanimously accepted a 7.5% pay rise – which will see rates of pay rise by £2 per hour.

This comes after Chesterfield residents were warned in May that workers may strike after rejecting a ‘derisory below-inflation pay increase’ of 4.48%.

The increase will take effect from July 1 and workers will receive backpay from April 1 2022.

Deanne Ferguson, GMB Organiser, said: “At a time when workers are feeling large financial pressures due to the cost-of-living crisis, I am pleased Veolia has listened to our members’ requests. They’ve offered a pay rise which will make a real difference to their working lives.

“GMB members, some of the lowest paid in the country, were prepared to take strike action to secure a fair pay increase. It's not right that a bin worker in Chesterfield is paid any less than another bin worker elsewhere.

“The uplift in pay now brings Chesterfield Veolia workers more in line with other refuse workers on similar contracts – which is the right thing to do. GMB members should be incredibly proud of the part they played in securing this deal.”

Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, met with representatives from GMB and the senior management at Veolia last week to discuss the dispute.He said: “These strikes would have caused a great deal of disruption for the town and I am glad that they have been averted. I want to thank both the GMB Union and Veolia for meeting with me to discuss my concerns and congratulate both sides for working together to ensure that workers get a reasonable pay rise which is very much needed right now.”

“This wage rise is fair, but with inflation continuing to escalate, we should remember that even this will leave working people worse off than they were a year ago. Whilst I understand the call to ensure that wage rises don’t provide further fuel to increases in inflation, lower paid workers simply can’t afford to see further erosions in their real terms incomes.”

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