Friday 30th June 2023 – Waste collection industrial action update – 05:34pm
We are pleased to confirm our waste collection contractor, Biffa, and the GMB union have reached a resolution to end the industrial action effective immediately. We thank both Biffa and the GMB for their efforts in resolving this.
As part of the resolution Biffa will be seeking to make changes over the coming weeks to some collection schedules as they look to rebalance collection rounds. As a result, the time your collections take place may change and, to enable your bin to be emptied please ensure it is placed out for collection by 7:00am on your normal scheduled collection day. To check your bin collection days, please use our bin day search.
In some locations it may be necessary to change bin collection days. Please be assured any collection day changes will be kept to a minimum and we will write to inform all households concerned in advance.
Unfortunately, despite this resolution, there will be some disruption and outstanding collections from today or earlier in the week. Biffa will be working hard to catch up on any missed collections tomorrow, Saturday 1st July, therefore please continue to leave your bin out and available for collection, as we will be working to catch up as quickly as possible.
For extra recycling that cannot fit into the bin it can be placed in non-black plastic bags beside the bin. For safety reasons, where possible please ensure any glass bottles and jars are placed into the bin.
With the resolution of the industrial action, we will not be issuing further updates and once again, we apologise for any inconvenience this industrial action has caused and thank you for your patience and understanding.
FAQ’s
Please put your bin out as normal on the scheduled collection day.
Please do not call us or use our website to report a missed bin. Please leave the bin out in the usual place until it has been emptied.
Alternatively, if this is not an option, you may wish to take your waste to the closest Household Waste Recycling Site. The locations and opening times of these sites can be found here: https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling/household-waste-recycling-sites
We are unable to offer a Council Tax refund in response to the industrial action. Only 9% of Council Tax collected by Wealden District Council is retained by the council, with the remainder being collected on behalf of East Sussex County Council, town and parish councils, the Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.
Council Tax retained by Wealden District Council is used to provide a wide range of services, with waste services only making up a small proportion of the total sum. We appreciate that it is frustrating that services have been affected but please continue to pay your Council Tax bill as usual.
In the event that garden waste collections are disrupted the Council will be considering all available options regarding this after the strike has ended and will update customers
The Local Government Ombudsman does not investigate complaints from members of the public about issues which arise as a result of industrial action. This is because these are issues which affect everyone in the Councils’ area, they are not individual service failures caused by something that the Councils have done wrong or failed to do.
As the strike is affecting all properties across Wealden District Council, we are unable to respond to individual complaints through our formal process.