Bin strikes: South London escapes rubbish chaos as refuse workers call off walkout

Refuse workers have agreed to call off a planned strike which risked chaos for bin collections across south London.

GMB union members have accepted a 10% pay rise and called off the proposed industrial action, after fears it would have a knock-on effect on dumps across the south of the capital.

Strikes were set to go ahead at two waste transfer stations later this month and next.

The sites under threat were Smugglers Way, in Wandsworth and Cringle Dock, in Battersea - but all dumps across south London would have seen rubbish building up due to the closures.

But now employers Cory Environmental and the workers have reached an agreement to keep the waste transfer stations open.

Members have accepted an improved pay deal of 10%.

Paul Grafton, GMB regional organiser, said: “The members have accepted this improved pay deal, but there was really no need for us to ballot for action - Cory should have done the decent thing and offered a pay rise in line with inflation in the first place.

“The company now knows how serious our members are and they would do well to bear that in mind when putting a pay offer on the table next time.

“Residents of South London will be relieved that there will be no disruption to their kerbside collections or access to their local dumps, but there wouldn’t have been even the threat of this potential chaos if Cory had offered this sort of deal in the first place.”

Cory Group has been contacted for comment.