I was interviewed on the STV News at 6pm last night (and today's Courier also covers the matter) about the way Dundee City Council has handled yesterday’s lack of refuse collections in Dundee. This is because of a dispute with the trade union Unite about changes to public holiday arrangements.I was told by the City Council that there has been extensive negotiations both at a local level and also the Chief Executive has met with Unite's Regional Organiser. However despite this, the Trade Union has refused to allow its members to work on the public holidays. Consequently there are no refuse collection vehicles or street cleansing operatives working yesterday or services including recycling centres and public conveniences.
Whilst I appreciate that the Council is currently in dispute with the trade union concerned and we obviously hope the dispute is resolved very soon, many of my constituents in the West End will not now get their bin collected until next Monday. It doesn’t seem a very satisfactory way of dealing with the lack of collection yesterday. Surely the best way of dealing with this would be to collect refuse a day late?
My constituents in the West End who have had no collection yesterday – there are around 100 streets in the West End alone affected and therefore doubtless many other streets elsewhere in the city affected too – are being expected to wait a full further week to get their bin collected.
That is very unfair as it appears to be if you are unlucky enough to be a Monday collection you will get no collection at all this week. It is not acceptable to all the residents in the 100 streets in the West End affected.
I have written to the City Council’s Chief Executive about the matter.
I have written to the City Council’s Chief Executive about the matter.