Council strikes: Bins start to pile up as workers in Cardiff, Wrexham and Gwynedd stage walkout

The strike has meant some people in Cardiff and Wrexham have been left wondering when their rubbish will be collected.

Rubbish has started to pile up as refuse workers at three Welsh councils have walked out.

Unite Union members at Cardiff and Wrexham council walked out on 4 September and will be on strike for two consecutive weeks, until 17 September. Gwynedd council staff started their industrial today, Monday 11 September.

Members at Cynon Valley waste have also voted to strike, but the dates of when they will walk out have not been set yet.

The strike has meant people in Cardiff and Wrexham have been left wondering when their rubbish will be collected.

Council workers in Wrexham and Cardiff have already been on strike since 4th September.

One Pwllheli resident said that the strikes in Gwynedd are going to mean even more rubbish in the community. He said bins are already overflowing, even without the strike.

Peter Sinclair Gill said: "(Pwllheli) has only recently been cleaned up for the Eisteddfod by volunteers."

The council has asked residents to put their bins and recycling out as normal on their regular collection day but added if it isn't collected, residents will have to wait until their next collection.

Wrexham Council has also asked residents to put their bins out as usual, but warned if it hasn't been collected by 3:30pm, they should wait until the next week.

Cardiff Council have cancelled garden and recycling collection in some areas. Credit: Cardiff Council Website

A spokesperson said: "We’re again prioritising black waste bin collections on our planned routes in local community areas e.g. Acton, Garden Village, Minera, Gresford, Rossett and Burton areas.

"Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that we’ll get to green bins or dry recycled waste, as we have insufficient resource."

Meanwhile in some areas of Cardiff recycling and garden waste collection were not collected last week and have been cancelled this week.

Cardiff Council said collection of hygiene waste may have to be suspended whilst the industrial action continues and collection plans may change on a daily basis.

The industrial action follows a pay offer by the local authorities of £1925 which union Unite say is a "poorer offer than last year, despite the cost-of-living crisis having worsened."

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Welsh council workers are on the frontline providing vital services to communities across Wales.

"It is simply unacceptable that workers have been forced onto the breadline due to years of real terms pay cuts.”

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