Wirral's independent local news website
Biffa has informed Wirral Council that they have been unable to reach an agreement with trade unions representing their workforce and planned industrial action beginning on Monday 5 December is now likely to go ahead.
This will affect all services provided by Biffa under their contract with Wirral Council for six days from Monday 5 December to Saturday 10 December, meaning there will be no household bin collections, bulk bin collection (including from schools), bulky waste collections, street cleaning or emptying of public litter bins.
To help mitigate the disruption, residents are being asked where possible to keep hold of their waste until the next scheduled collection date. Alternatively, residents can take both bagged general rubbish and loose recycling to their local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
There are three household waste recycling centres in Wirral – Bidston, Clatterbridge, and West Kirby. Details of opening times, permits and items accepted at the Household Waste recycling centre are available from the MRWA website https://www.merseysidewda.gov.uk/find-a-local-recycling-centre/
Any scheduled garden waste collection missed as a result of the industrial action will be rescheduled in January before the service resumes after the winter break.
Residents who had booked a bulky waste collection will be contacted to have their collection rearranged to a date after 10 December.
Street cleansing activities are unlikely to take place next week and council officers will be monitoring litter bins and rubbish build-up across the borough.
FAQs
Q: When collections restart can I put out additional bagged rubbish or recycling?
A: Collection crews are unable to take additional recycling or garden waste, please keep this until your next collection day or take it to the Household Waste Recycling Centre. No side waste will be collected with your green (general waste bin). Please make sure that your rubbish is contained within the wheelie bin.
We are making plans to ensure that those properties not receiving a green bin (general rubbish) collection during the strike action will receive a green bin collection the following week, instead of a grey bin (recycling) collection. This will mean that those properties do not receive a grey bin (recycling) collection for 4 weeks, but general rubbish collections are a priority due to food or other waste that could be a hazard to health if left uncollected for a prolonged period.
Q: My bin is full and I can not get to the HWRC?
A: We aren’t able to provide a collection for your rubbish during the week of industrial action. Please store your waste as best as possible until the collections resume on 12 December. We will collect green bins as a priority that week, even if it should be a grey bin collection for you.
Q: Could more strikes take place?
A: The current industrial action is only from Monday 5 December to Saturday 10 December. Biffa staff would have to ballot for any further strike action and advance notice would be provided to the council and residents if further action was proposed.
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