Refuse collectors in Shropshire have scrapped plans to go on strike, it emerged today.

There had been fears rubbish and recycling collections would be hit across the county after the GMB union threatened to ballot members at Veolia for industrial action unless threatened cuts in jobs and pay were withdrawn.

The firm manages waste and recycling services in the Shropshire Council area, including Bridgnorth, though household bin collections are run by a different company in Telford.

Veolia had put its public service contract workers on 90-day notice of its intention to unilaterally make them redundant before re-engaging them under a new company name.
GMB bosses were concerned that Veolia employees would be dismissed and re-engaged on worse terms and conditions. Veolia always denied this.

But, following a meeting between GMB national officers Rehana Azam and Justin Bowden and Veolia chief operating officer Tom Spaul, GMB said today it had now agreed to lift the threat of any legal or industrial action.

In a joint statement they said: “GMB and Veolia agree the way forward to avoid industrial action.

“In the course of a frank and open meeting Veolia agreed to withdraw their HR1′s and with it any threat of redundancies and dismissal of staff.

“Tom Spaul gave a personal assurance that no Veolia employee would lose their job.

“In the light of Tom Spaul’s intervention, including his commitment to re-open consultations afresh and enter into meaningful negotiations with the GMB within an agreed process, the GMB has agreed with immediate effect to lift the threat of any legal or industrial action.”

Mrs Azam last week described what Veolia had been doing as “completely unacceptable” in putting its public service contract workers on 90-days notice.

She said the decision by the firm’s management to make their employees bear the brunt of the squeeze on Government funding was “just not on”.

Veolia had previously said it was consolidating its workforce under one company name and had no intention of cutting pay or shedding jobs.