The Anonymous Widower

Rubbish Collection

Some parts of the UK seem to be having problems with collection of rubbish.

But!

I’ve recently moved just before Christmas into the London Borough of Hackney.  I thought there might be problems, what with disposing of all the moving boxes, the deep snow and unfamiliarity on my part with the new systems.

 But not at all!

Everything has worked smoothly and they even made a return collection for all the excess cardboard.

So what has gone wrong in places like Birmingham and Exeter.  This article  from Channel 4 News offers some reasons.

It says this about Birmingham.

Refuse collections have been hit by a combination of cold weather and industrial action – at a time of year when there’s already far more household waste than usual.

December’s heavy snow and icy roads meant many collections were cancelled for safety reasons, as it was deemed too dangerous for refuse trucks to negotiate slippery roads.

On top of that, hundreds of binmen have been involved in a work to rule, after a one-day strike before Christmas, in a long running dispute over pay. The dispute relates to the council’s obligation to equalise pay rates between men and women, under the Equal Pay legislation – but the GMB union claimed some workers, like binmen, could be left £4,000 worse off.

I think Birmingham’s rubbish problems may only be just starting as the Government cuts will mean that Danegeld will no longer be a solution.

January 5, 2011 - Posted by AnonW | News | Birmingham