Sheffield bin workers strike against ‘regime of fear’

96 ‘gross misconduct’ disciplinaries in the last year – that’s the scale of management bullying and intimidation that’s forced Sheffield’s bin workers on strike today, the first time in 17 years.

Over 100 Veolia refuse workers (Veolia runs the council’s waste management contract) were on the picket line from 6am.

They are demanding an end to the regime of fear that has workers with 20-30 years of experience frightened over whether they’ll get hauled in on any pretext.

The management has been using the CCTV cameras, not for health and safety reasons as the union had agreed, but as “spies in the cab”.

The GMB union branch secretary Mick Hinchcliffe called it “entrapment”.

Driver for 17 years Paul Cox said: “Management treat us like dirt. One told us ‘I don’t like Sheffield and I don’t like bin-men’ They didn’t think we would strike; well they started this and now we’re going to finish it. If it’s not sorted, then next time we should stay out for a week.”

Alistair Tice

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