Morale boosted in face of management provocation
Alistair Tice, Yorkshire Socialist Party
The Unite indefinite strike for union recognition at Veolia in Sheffield is now in its fifth week.
Around 40 strikers took their case to Sheffield City Council on 4 September, lobbying and petitioning the full council meeting. The council has outsourced the city’s waste management contract to Veolia for 35 years.
Strikers had been assembling every morning outside their workplace but management have closed the depot so pickets can’t talk to the working GMB members who do have union recognition. So now most strikers are protesting outside the nearby Veolia waste-to-heat incinerator site where bin waggons tip their loads.
This more pro-active protesting by strikers last week has certainly got in the face of Veolia management. Whilst the strikers are wary of picketing the working bin workers due to the fear of victimisation by a very bullying management, this didn’t stop a Socialist Party member supporting the dispute from crossing the road to try to talk to GMB and non-union members in their waggons coming in and out.
This led to incidents of reckless driving and unwanted physical contact which have been reported to the police and Veolia. And provoked the manager into calling me a “twat”, and the peacefully protesting strikers (her employees) “idiots” and “a disgrace”. Even worse, when I was stood in front of one waggon, this manager told the driver to “Run him over – I’ll do the paperwork”!
As several drivers have been previously disciplined for driving incidents much less serious than running over a member of the public, an official complaint has gone in about this unprofessional and abusive behaviour.
These incidents have lifted the morale of the strikers and forced management to relocate where the working waggons tip again. The new site will now be protested at as well.
