Thurrock Council’s front line workers are expected to accept pay cuts and worse terms and conditions of employment while the salaries of senior officers, including the chief executive, Lyn Carpenter, remain untouched. This is a dispute that has been rumbling on for some months. Understandably, the bin workers have had enough and are balloting for strike action: Bin crews will be balloted on strike action as dispute over pay and conditions remains unresolved.

This is from the Basildon Socialist Party Facebook page

Alongside the Covid-19 pandemic, the refuse, highways and environment workers in Essex have once again been struck with a virulent case of BSE – Big Strike Energy. Strike ballots will be sent out on the 25th of February.

Thurrock Council has recently voted through proposals that would see wages cut by between £1500 and £3500 a year. These workers have slogged through a year of a pandemic, they have suffered an outbreak of Covid in their depot, they have worked from 5am each day through all weathers fulfilling an absolutely vital role for the community and what thanks do they get? A life-changing pay cut brought in by Tory politicians and council officers who have been comfortable working from home getting paid three times what these workers get.

This isn’t just a fight for key workers in Thurrock but for workers everywhere; this is the line in the sand. Are workers going to lie down and pay the price for the pandemic or are we going to stand up and defend our livelihoods?

These men and women are our every day heroes, if Thurrock Council thinks they’re a pushover then they’re very, very wrong. Victory to the Battling Binmen and Environment Workers of Thurrock!

These are a couple of posts we’ve put up featuring what the bin workers have to say about why they’re considering taking strike action:

Just so you know what a refuse worker has to go through… 11.01.21

Word from the frontline 07.11.20