Angus Council and Unite the Union have reached an agreement to bring an immediate suspension to industrial action.
The resolution, achieved through what the council called “ongoing constructive talks and negotiation”, halts the dispute between the Council and Unite and its members in the waste and recycling collection staff.
These negotiations reset the parameters of the original shift review, allowing both sides to identify and agree a resolution that ensures target savings can still be made while a working pattern more favourable to staff is introduced, the council said.
Additionally, there would be no reduction to the bin services provided to communities.
The strike action, which began on 8 April as a new shift pattern was introduced, has had a significant impact on bin collections across Angus but, with a deal having been reached, it is anticipated that collection rounds would quickly return to normal, the council says.
Angus council – “This resolution will still allow Angus Council to achieve what it has no choice but to achieve – specifically, year on year savings of £160,000. It will also allow us to reduce the number of vehicles in our fleet and to do all of this with no reduction in service to the people of Angus.
Communities Convener, Cllr Mark Salmond said: “We clearly regret that any industrial action was taken and the detrimental effect it had on our communities, but we are pleased to have reached agreement at this time. We very much appreciate the understanding and pragmatism of our communities during what has been a difficult period.
“This resolution will still allow Angus Council to achieve what it has no choice but to achieve – specifically, year on year savings of £160,000. It will also allow us to reduce the number of vehicles in our fleet and to do all of this with no reduction in service to the people of Angus. This is a resolution that represents a positive outcome for everyone concerned and will allow normal service to resume as soon as possible.”
Dougie Maguire, Unite regional coordinating officer, said: “Unite is very pleased that a negotiated settlement to the dispute has been achieved in the interests of all parties concerned, in particular, our members in the waste and recycling collection service. This is what Unite desired from the outset. The agreement ensures that a normal service will resume immediately and our members can continue to have the work-life balance that is necessary to provide the best possible service for the people of Angus.”
Full details of the resolution will be announced in due course with Angus Council now consulting with other unions and staff in scope of the changes with regards the proposed new shift arrangements and to ensure agreement with all parties.
Householders are asked to continue to refer to the council’s dedicated web pages for the latest updates about bin collections while work continues to return the bin services to normal.