Bin strikes east London: Tower Hamlets traders dub huge rubbish ‘Mount Everest’ amid refuse workers action

East London market stall traders have branded a huge pile of rubbish “Mount Everest”, as a refuse workers strike has left mounds of litter waiting to be picked up.

More than 200 Tower Hamlets Council workers are just four days into a four-week strike, after rejecting a national local government pay offer of a flat increase of £1,925.

Having downed tools on September 18, the action was initially due to run until October 1. However, it has since been extended by a further two weeks, due to management failing to make an improved offer, according to the union Unite.

Tower Hamlets Council is not the only local authority where workers voted for strikes, with Unite saying in August that members at an initial 23 councils had backed walkouts.

As previously reported by LondonWorld, piles of rubbish could be seen along Whitechapel Road not far from council HQ just a few days in.

At a protest held jointly with striking Barts Health NHS Trust staff on September 20, Nick West, Unite’s regional officer, said: “You can see behind me just behind the strike, you can see the rubbish is piling up. It’s been two days of strike action, our members are taking four weeks of strike action.

“They don’t want to have to do it, but they see no alternative to be able to address the cost of living crisis specifically for them.”

As the mounds of abandoned refuse have continued to grow along Whitechapel Road, market stall traders and shop owners have born the brunt of the smell and the mess, with one dubbing a particularly large pile “Mount Everest”.

While none of those LondonWorld spoke to felt comfortable giving their names, each said they were concerned about the effects of the strike, especially given the amount of rubbish left after just a few days.

One said a nearby stall has been unable to set up due to the volume of bags spilling into their space, and that they are unsure whether they have been able to sell their goods elsewhere or had to skip work completely.

“It’s very bad. It starts smelling as well,” they said.

Asked how they think the issue will develop, they added: “It’s going to be very, very bad.”

Another said they had yet to be impacted by the strike, though did qualify “it’s only been a couple of days”.

However, one of the shop owners along the road said: “If this much rubbish built up in a few days, imagine it in a month’s time.

“As soon as the rubbish starts building up, they are going to attract rats etc.”

The owner, who also did not want to give a name, said they hope the strike is resolved “amicably”, though put the blame largely at the feet of the council refuse workers.

One of the stall traders was less sympathetic towards the local authority.

“I want them (the refuse workers) to be given what they asked for. They have rights to ask for more.”

M Hussain, who was standing under cover in a shop as the rain lashed down outside, concurred, saying the workers “should be paid quickly if possible”.

Otherwise, he said he is concerned about how the rubbish will affect what he believes are improvements to the area around the market.

“It’s a nice place now, it’s more developed, so many people working here,” he said. “We have to see it clean and tidy.”

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “We have been informed by Unite that their members will continue to strike for another two weeks after October 1. Naturally we are disappointed as keeping Tower Hamlets’ streets clean and litter free is our priority.

“The strike is over a national pay dispute and this is not something we can negotiate at a local level. However, we have been in discussions with union representatives before and during the strike and remain hopeful of a resolution.

“We have reallocated all non-striking staff to help clear waste and have a number of vehicles ready to make collections, but so far these have been blocked from leaving the depot every time by strikers. We are assessing the health and safety risks on a daily basis.”