Alistair Tice, Sheffield Socialist Party
On 19 August, Unite members at Lumley Street Veolia bin depot in Sheffield celebrated one whole year of indefinite strike action for union recognition. The ‘Lumley Street Warriors’ welcomed around 150 trade unionists and supporters to the picket line in a show of solidarity on the strike’s anniversary.
Striking Birmingham bin workers and a Fire Brigades Union delegation were joined by Rob Williams on behalf of the National Shop Stewards Network, who opened the speeches aimed at the both strikers and appealing to the GMB union members still working.
Despite a High Court Injunction, strike supporters exercised their right to ask drivers to stop, take a leaflet, have a conversation. The first wagon due out didn’t try to leave the depot, and all the refuse trucks were delayed by two hours, giving the strikers a huge boost.
The determination of the strikers to be represented by the union of their choice must now be matched by Unite extending the threat of industrial action to other Veolia sites around the country, as well as continued pressure on the Labour-led council to take the 36-year outsourced contract off Veolia and bring it back under local authority control.
