Offaly bin collections at risk as two-day strike by Bord na Mona workers looms

WASTE collection workers in Offaly and 11 other counties plan to go on strike for two days at the beginning of April.

The trade union SIPTU has followed up on its recent vote for strike action at Bord na Mona Recycling by announcing that there will be work stoppages on Wednesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 3.

The dispute was prompted by Bord na Mona's plan to sell its recycling arm to a private company, KWD, which SIPTU says is privatisation of a State service.

SIPTU says Bord na Móna (BNM) Recycling is the country’s last publicly owned domestic waste collection service.

SIPTU divisional organiser, Adrian Kane, said: “The management of Bord na Móna Recycling have carried out a plan to privatise the company behind the backs of its workforce. No legally sound guarantees have been provided to our members that their hard fought for terms and conditions of employment will be maintained by a new employer.”

Mr Kane added: “The deal to privatise the State’s last publicly owned domestic waste collection service has been structured in a manner which doesn’t provide the workers with the legal protections to their terms and conditions of employment which is normal in such a transfer of owners. Management has so far refused to provide the workers with the legal protection of a Registered Employment Agreement that will ensure their standards of employment are not reduced and that under their new employer they can maintain their right to collectively bargain.

“Our members have been forced to take this course of action. They are calling upon the loyal customer base of Bord na Móna Recycling to support them in this action, as protecting the manner in which the company operates will ensure that they will not be victim to massive increases in bin charges and ensure the service maintains its record of adherence to the highest standards of environmental legislation.”

SIPTU says the strike will impact Bord na Móna Recycling domestic waste collection services in counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Meath, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.

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Commenting on the dispute recently, a Bord na Móna spokesperson said the company had engaged directly with SIPTU regarding its decision to sell Bord na Móna Recycling to KWD Recycling.

“If approved, the sale will enable the recycling business to achieve the scale and efficiency required for sustained growth, profitability and employment,” a statement said.

“As communicated to SIPTU and its members, all employees will continue to work for the recycling business with no change to their contractual terms and conditions of employment on handover to KWD Recycling if regulatory approval of the sale is secured.

“The decision by SIPTU members to take strike action comes despite this confirmed continuity of employment and contractual terms, and without exhausting other agreed industrial relations resolution procedures.

“Bord na Móna will continue to engage with its employees and SIPTU and is committed to reaching a resolution.

“Bord na Móna will endeavour to keep any disruption to waste collection services arising from the industrial action to a minimum, and our customer service channels are available as usual to support customers.”