Update on Warrington's bin strikes which may go on until Christmas Eve

Refuse workers first walked out at the beginning of October in a row over pay and conditions.

But now, as we approach December, we are well into the fourth phase of bin strikes.

And tomorrow, the High Court is set to hear a legal case brought by Warrington Borough council in a bid to end the strikes.

As the industrial action continues, here’s an update on everything we know:

When did the strikes begin?

On September 28, Warrington Borough Council confirmed that a ‘small number’ of waste, highways, and environment workers had announced their intention to strike from October 3 to October 16.

It was understood that the strike action was to affect Unite members at the council and that it related to the 2023/2024 local government pay award.

The council originally said that it was ‘anticipating a small level of disruption’.

What has happened since?

Since the beginning of October, four waves of bin strikes have been announced.

The first took place on October 3 and lasted until October 16.

During this period, a second wave of walkouts was confirmed for October 24 to November 6.

But as there was a pause in strikes, the council was able to catch up on black bin collections in the town – which meant it had to suspend blue and green ones.

Meanwhile, a third wave of strikes was announced for November 8 to November 20.

We are currently in the middle of a fourth walk-out which will end on December 4.

However the council says that Unite plans to extend this action to Christmas Eve, although this has not been confirmed by Unite.

This means that since the beginning of October, no blue or green bins have been emptied across the town while black household waste has only been emptied once or twice, depending on what area of Warrington you live in.

Why are refuse workers striking?

Unite members have walked out in a dispute over pay.

The Warrington Guardian recently put readers’ questions to the union.

From why the union believes refuse workers should receive a pay rise to if they feel they are letting the people of Warrington down – you can read the answers here.

A poster has been handed out by strikes which reads: "We apologise that you have been affected by our strike action over the last month.

"We share your frustrations that Warrington Borough Council did not engage in talks before our strike action began, and has not made serious efforts to reach an agreement that could bring the strikes to an end.

"We are low-paid workers providing vital services to our community, who are increasingly struggling to survive during a cost of living crisis."

What has the council said?

Warrington Borough Council is now seeking a High Court injunction in a bid to bring the bin strikes to an end.

Warrington Borough Council says its case will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London tomorrow, Tuesday.

Council correspondence seen by the Warrington Guardian previously states: “Having followed legal advice throughout the industrial dispute, we have attempted to resolve the issue via appropriate negotiations and discussion, including a corporate joint consultative committee on November 8.

“Unfortunately and regrettably, Unite has not been responsive to our position that we are prepared to consider all local issues as long as they are dealt with through our agreed local negotiating processes.

“Our other trade unions – Unison and GMB – have been cooperative and responsible throughout this dispute.

“We are now at the stage where the council has now had to challenge the legal mandate for the continuation of the industrial action.”

A letter has been sent from the council’s solicitors, having been drafted in after the council took legal advice, calling for Unite to cancel upcoming planned strike action.

What has Unite said?

The union has blamed the council’s ‘dithering’ for a fourth phase of strike action and accused leaders of dither and delay.

It has also hit back at the council ahead of the High Court hearing.

Unite regional officer Brian Troake said: “It is disappointing that a Labour council has resorted to using Tory anti-trade union law to try and defeat the legitimate claims of their own workforce, who are suffering from years of real-term pay cuts.

“Unite will not stand back from defending our members, whether that be in the courts, in the workplace or on the picket line, and we will do so on Tuesday in the High Court.

“This dispute will not be resolved by wasting taxpayers' money on costly legal challenges.

“The best way forward is for Warrington Borough Council to get back round the negotiating table with Unite to find a solution that addresses our members’ entirely justified pay concerns.”

Why can’t I check my bin collection date online?

The council has removed the page on its website where you can normally check when your bin is due to be emptied.

This is to save people from getting confused, with the page to be reinstated after the strike action finishes.

Will I get a refund on my council tax?

It seems not.

The council’s website states that although it understands not having waste emptied is frustrating, ‘council tax is and remains a tax’.

It reads: “That means households legally have to pay their council tax bill, even if services are disrupted, or even if people don’t use certain services. A mechanism for this type of refund does not exist.

“We are working on plans to make sure that a waste and recycling catch-up operation happens after the strike action.”

Can the council pay agency staff to empty bins?

The council says that by law it is banned from paying agency workers to cover duties performed by a worker who is taking part in a strike.

“This prevents us from employing agency workers to cover the duties of employees on strike,” the website reads.