Bins stay unemptied due to strike

Residents angry that their bins remain unemptied following a strike have been told they will not be emptied until the next collection date.

Bins were not emptied last Wednesday and Thursday in Walsall after council workers held a 48-hour strike.

Residents have been told to wait until their next collection date or to take their rubbish to household waste recycling centres.

The strike has left a waste backlog which some residents are angry about.

'Extra rubbish'

Peter Bolland, of Pleck, Walsall, said: "People have been leaving their bins out because they are not sure when the collections will come round.

"And some have had their bins turned over by children. And of course this week we have extra rubbish being taken outside."

Rachel Walker, from Walsall Council, said: "We won't pay staff overtime to carry out work that could have been carried out last week for which they would have been paid if they had turned up for work.

"Effectively, if we paid them to collect the side waste this week we would be paying them overtime payments and they would effectively get paid for being on strike last week."

'Normal collections'

Mark Holden, Walsall Council head of street pride, said: "Normal collection arrangements will apply.

"No domestic side waste will be collected and for safety reasons lids must be closed.

"This is necessary to ensure bags of waste do not topple out when they are being emptied into collection trucks."

He added: "We have been publicising which services are affected in as far as we possibly can and people who do not want to wait until their next collection can use Walsall Council's household waste recycling centres in Fryers Road, Leamore, and Merchants Way, Aldridge."

Green household waste bins at affected properties will be collected on 24 July.

Recycling boxes and brown garden waste bins will be collected on July 30 and 31.