Boosting pay on the bins

Refuse worker strikes have been averted in Solihull and Thanet as employers came across with improved offers. In Solihull, GMB members employed by Veolia voted overwhelmingly to support the latest pay offer, which includes a 15% pay uplift for the lowest paid, after a week-long strike. Meanwhile, a Thanet bin strike has been averted after the council made a “bumper” pay offer of a further 5.75% on top of its previous offering. GMB members in nearby Canterbury took 67 days of strike action and won £15 an hour for drivers and £12 an hour for loaders. Thanet has now agreed to offer similar terms and to implement the rise from 1 November.