Waste

Fórsa union members working in the community and voluntary sector at Barnardos Ireland will begin a work-to-rule action on 25 June, after the organisation failed to fully implement a pay rise agreed in 2023. The action involves staff supporting vulnerable children and families, and was backed by 88% of members in a recent ballot. The dispute centres on an 8% pay increase negotiated under a 2023 Workplace Relations Commission agreement. Barnardos has paid only 4% so far, with the remaining 4% still outstanding. Under the work-to-rule, staff will adhere strictly to their contracts and decline

The second edition of the CEECAW newsletter offers new insights into the state of collective bargaining in Central and Eastern Europe. The project supports unions in 12 countries to improve bargaining outcomes in the care, public administration and waste sectors. This issue reports on national workshops held in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia. It confirms that bargaining coverage remains low across the region, with agreements often repeating legal texts rather than addressing workplace realities. Still, the newsletter documents encouraging signs, including renewed organising strategies

Refuse workers in Birmingham, represented by Unite the Union, have been on all-out strike since 11 March 2025 in response to the city council’s plans to restructure waste collection services. The dispute centres on the proposed removal of a specific operative role, which Unite says would result in pay cuts of up to £8,000 for some workers. The council disputes this figure, claiming only a few staff members would be directly affected and that alternative roles at equivalent pay have been offered. On 14 April, workers overwhelmingly rejected a proposed deal which Unite described as offering only

The longest garbage collection strike in Madrid in ten years came to an end on 27 April 2025, following a collective agreement between unions and the private companies subcontracted by the Madrid City Council. The strike, which lasted from 21 to 27 April, was called by Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), and Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT). Around 1,800 workers employed by six companies—FCC, Valoriza, Acciona, OHLA, PreZero, and Urbaser—took part in the action. The unions demanded fairer conditions across the workforce, improved pay, and greater job

SIPTU members employed by Bord na Móna (BNM) Recycling, Ireland’s last publicly owned domestic waste collection service, have served notice of a two-day strike on 2nd and 3rd April. The strike follows concerns over the planned privatisation of the company and the lack of legal guarantees protecting workers' terms and conditions. The union argues that management has moved to sell the service without securing the necessary legal protections for workers, including a Registered Employment Agreement. SIPTU warns that the sale, if completed under the current conditions, could lead to worsening

Workers in the waste management companies FCC Environment Portugal and Resinorte staged strikes on 26 and 27 December, demanding better wages, improved working conditions, and respect for their rights. The strikes, organised by STAL , included pickets at the FCC facility in Marco de Canaveses and the Resinorte facility in Riba d'Ave, with FCC workers maintaining 24-hour action on the first day. The workers are protesting against the lack of progress in negotiations with company administrations. Key demands include significant wage increases, higher meal allowances, the introduction of a risk

On 29 November, more than a thousand public administration workers in Portugal, including many represented by STAL , joined a nationwide protest against the newly approved 2025 State Budget. The rally, held in front of the Assembly of the Republic, criticised policies that prioritise tax benefits for companies and public-private partnerships while offering only minimal wage increases for public workers. The budget allocates €1.8 billion to corporate incentives, compared to just €600 million for public sector salary updates. STAL condemned the government’s approach, stressing that 62% of

Since 20 August 2024, workers at Veolia’s Sheffield depot have been striking over the company’s refusal to recognise Unite as their representative union. Despite Unite representing many workers at the depot, Veolia has refused to negotiate, even though similar agreements exist at other depots in the UK. The situation escalated last week when striking workers and Unite delegates travelled to Paris to protest outside Veolia’s headquarters, demanding union recognition. This marks a new phase in the campaign, which has also seen reports of intimidation and the dismissal of some workers involved in

Unite the union has successfully negotiated a new pay deal for its members at Veolia’s Grangemouth site, responsible for waste management. The two-year agreement includes a substantial pay increase of seven percent for 2024 and four percent for 2025. The dispute arose from dissatisfaction with a previous pay offer deemed inadequate by Unite members. However, following the acceptance of the new offer, planned strike action scheduled to commence on July 1 has been called off. Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, emphasized the significance of workers standing together to secure fair

Thousands of Scottish municipal workers, including those in waste collection, recycling, and street cleaning, are preparing for potential strikes due to ongoing pay disputes. Represented by Unison, GMB and Unite, workers have criticized the latest pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla). The proposal includes a 2.2% increase for six months followed by an additional 2% for the next 12 months, which unions argue does not compensate for the significant wage devaluation over the past 14 years. Unions are demanding an above-inflation pay rise, with Unison highlighting