Glasgow City Cleansing Chaos Part 2, Glaswegians suffer for second time this year Options

[GG]

Just a few months after Glasgow narrowly avoided a damaging cleansing strike in the city, industrial action by concerned city binmen has left rubbish piling up in city streets for weeks. The binmen are unhappy with some of the terms and conditions of new contracts, which form part of revised working practices in Glasgow City Council's land and environmental services department, claiming that changes such as 'double parking' could put lives at risk.

In response, senior council officials have warned the 600 refuse collection staff that private contractors may be paid to tackle the backlog of refuse in the city, now rapidly causing a hazard in many of Glasgow's streets.

The dispute follows an earlier agreement between council officials and union representatives that up to 1200 staff – including parks' employees, roads' workers and street sweepers – would receive new contracts aimed at phasing in a system of 'four days on, four days off' for land and environmental services' employees. The latest move had been claimed deliver up to £8million a year before being overtaken by industrial action.

Robert Booth, director of land and environmental services, expressed annoyance at refuse collection staff when he said:

"They are refusing to double park collection vehicles and if bin lids are not closed they are refusing to lift them. Also, if they press the service button to access the rear court of a tenement and get no reply, they will walk away rather than press residents' buzzers."

Martin Doran, the Scottish organiser of the GMB union, who was involved in negotiations to reach a compromise deal with council officials which began phase one of the new working practices, responded:

"What has been allowed over a long number of years is bad, unsafe working practices. The binmen are being faced with four-on, four-off working and have decided not to undertake those draconian, unsafe working practices. We are working to contract and the residents are seeing what the impact is."

GG.

[Catherine]

If the Four on Four off disnae suit then would someone please tell the Binmen they can leave and someone else can get their job.

Chances are it may be someone from 'out of town' who takes up the position....so remember that and don't be throwin it back in their faces for wanting to work and taking the inconveniences of shift work in their stride....unlike the guy who has given it up cos it disnae suit!

Let Martin Doran go back to his workers and tell them the Impact has been felt by the Residents...so therefore the Residents will now not be paying their Taxes that pay the Binmens wages....so that they then too, the Binmen, can also feel the impact.

Sorry but ah get sick to death of folks complainin, either dae the job or don't but stoap the whinin y'no!

By the way, that photo of the rubbish and the boxes, widnae get picked up here either....boxes have to be broken down and stringed first before pick up

[don.stuart]

I last visited Glasgow 18 years ago and was appalled at how dirty the place was, and there wasn't a strike on! Between punters throwing paper bags and containers on to the street and dog shit on pavements I was horrified. Now I still miss Glasgow, Maryhill and the Jags,and especially the people but Glasgow could learn a lot from New Zealand. When I used to smoke in NZ I was scared to throw a dog end away because the streets are so clean! My last impression of Glasgow was when I walked from Bishopbriggs sports Centre to Kirkintlloch road and the dirt and paper bags blowing across the road. God knows what the place will look like during a strike. Cmon Glasgow make us want to come home!

[Jupiter]

I got to agree with the gent from NZ on the attitude to litter in glasgow.Yesterday I watched a saw a youth at college finish a can of juice and leave it atop an electricity junction box then a school girl finish of a bag of chips and nonchalontly drop the paper in the street as though it was the most natural thing to do.Re the binmen,my view is that they have contracts,legally entered into and now they are having new terms and conditions forced upon them by a council in dire financial straits.
As always councils target low paid workers first.I am not surprised the workers are working as per conditions.Why should they cooperate when they realise they are being shafted.Ive worked twelve hour shifts and can say that after a while I was absolutely done in.7am-7pm leaves very little time for anything but work eat and sleep.
I think the council binmen are correct in taking a stand on their terms and conditions and should not adopt any kind of attitude that they are lucky to be in a job or that if they dont like it they should walk.They play a very important role in the smooth running of the city and should not be subjected to this type of intimidation.
I also think it is ironic that these conditions are being pushed by a Labour administration.

[**drumlad**]

These poor sods have been shafted big time,sat/sunday for no more money, they will get mon/tue off when every one eles is at work, stick to it lads. You were buillied in to these conditions and should stick to a work to rule!

[*Guest*]

As a Glaswegian born and bred, but no longer resident, I am horrified when I return for a visit to my family to see how dirty my City is. The bin men and street cleaners are some of the most important people in the city and it's long past time that they were appreciated for the work they do.
Who do the citizens expect should clean up after them?

[*Longbeach*]

Hi
Ihave a question to ask the binmen,why when they do collect the rubbish (I must say not all binmen do it but there are some)if they happen to drop the bins and some of the rubbish falls out they just leave it lying on the ground they dont pick it up, it seems as though they are saying it is more than my jobs worth. I have noticed too they pull two bins between parked cars on their way to the lorry but are they going to pay for any damage that may happen to the cars.Also the public now take the bins from their property and put it outside, we now are asked to used a variety of coloured bins for certain products of waste now and if fact the public now are part of a waste sorting department doing what was once part of the refuse department of the councils,just remember it is a job,a lot of people are looking for and cannot find work,so if they dont want to do the job I am sure plenty wood, I am not tarring every binman with the same brush but there are jobs that was once part of the councils remit that have now been passed over to the public who dont get payed to do it,but have to pay the binmen to do less in what they used to years ago.What I also do not understand too, on the side of the binmen and also any employees who have made contracts with a company, to me a contract is an agreement between two parties,a mutual agreement and if any party wishing to change a previous or amend a previous contact also must be mutual not a case as I have encountered in the passed coerced into changing contracts by an employer.

[musicthom]

It never ceases to amaze me how many opinions we have on a subject such as this really brings out the worst in folk

I work under these conditions of 4 on and 4 off and it has had a big impact on my life

I have only seen my daughter twice since i went onto this in august, we both being responsable adults who work dont have the option to spend time together

I like many other residents of this city pay council tax too so in effect do i pay my own wages ?

like many other employers council and private sector there are those who do not wish to give there all and nothing on this earth will ever change their attitude to work please do not tar us all with the same brush!

I also did some Volunteer Work which had to stop simply because i cannot commit to a particular day

I undetook some adult learning courses to better myself paid by me this has also stopped again because i cannot commit myself to a set day due to the nature of my shifts

yes i agree in this climate i am lucky to have a job but at what price my family ?

I know we have to move with the times but there is more of a money saving exercise here than a more efficent service

On the subject of dog fouling, litter, fly tipping i think the residents of our city have a responsability and really need to take a closer look at themselvs

[*Harry's Pal*]

Well said musicthom!

Fact 1:
4 on 4 off has been running in the Roads Parks and a percentage of the cleansing since mid August.

Fact 2:
From day one it has been a total disaster both in organsiation and work allocation. Work is being left half done and being left to lie because of the amount of work mounting up because the workforce is halved.

Fact 3:
Contractors are still in use because the smaller workforce cannot keep up with demand.

Fact 4:
Other local authorities have already tried this system and not only has it destroyed quailty of service but has cost more than the old system ie Edinburgh.

Fact 5:
Binmen are merely working to their job description, which is drawn up by the the Council. All job descriptions now clearly state that Health and Safety guidelines must be observed at all times. This covers the Council against injury claims in cases where accidents occur and correct procedures are not followed.

[Weir45]

I agree with you completely Musicthom. It makes my blood boil when I see people throw rubbish on the street. There are litter bins all over the place, and still they throw it on the street. Would they do that at home I wonder? As for moaning about the binmen. All they are doing is sticking to their working contract.

[818818]

Double parking I live on a bus route on a narrow street in Knightswood all the traffic stops when bins are being emptied so that is crap Glasgow's streets in city centre are on a 1 way system so generally anything being delivered or picked up has to double park.

Our house bins used to be picked up on a Wednesday about 12.45 now its sometime on a Friday the 4on4off is not working less work being done more chaos being created and they call it progress its exactly what we put in our bins RUBBISH

[Rabbie]

Who do the citizens expect should clean up after them?

Well, maybe if some clatty wee messons cleaned up after themselves in the first instance, some areas widdnea be such a piggeries.

Four on Four days aff.. thats no so bad.

The days of double time and time an a haulf on Saturdays and Sundays is I tink, a thing of the past. If they think that is bad, maybe try a 6 month stint of stag duty and cluddgie cleaning in the Afghan wid temper their views.

[Jupiter]

Hi Rabbie, how about giving us some of your personal experience of working four on four off.
"thats no so bad" So what is good about it in your view?

[bigdrew]

What is of more importance is that WE as Council Tenants/Residents are being given the best value for our monies...
This will continue to be impossible when this Council (Glasgow) continually has TOO MANY CHIEFS AND NOT ENOUGH INDIANS to actually carry-out the work needed.
And there is also a large portion of blame to be laid at Council staff and unions who manipulate the system to get the MAX remuneration for the least effort.
Its no wonder the private sector is booming in Glasgow...something I never wanted to see in my lifetime....
But examples are relevent when Council strategies work Against the people....
1 Roads coned-off for days when no work is done, then......double-time at the weekends...
2 Watching Cleansing wagons lifting rubbish from one side of the street....leaving the other side for another collection......
3 Seeing Cleansing wagons emptying bins across the road, and NOT collecting the other side...and the new habbit of checking bins, and leaving items at the side of the road, for the dogs to attack...
4 And the selective decision for some people to get black bags, whereby others do not, and even that is at the discretion of the 'cleany-man' or whatever they are called now......
I think the whole Council system stinks and leaves us in the hands of gangsters, whose priority seems to be their own bank accounts.......... CRAP for CRAP..!

[*Guest*]

What exactly is it that "concerns" the "concerned binmen" of Glasgow?