WITH no signs of a breakthrough in negotiations and a strike of environment services workers at Thurrock Council due to start next week the authority has released some of the detail about how it plans to cope.

A statement from the council today (Thursday, 8 April) says strike action due to be taken by Unite union members over the next three weeks means it is putting 'contingency plans in place to deal with household waste collections and minimise disruption for residents'.

The strike, which involves refuse collection workers, road maintenance staff and street cleaners, is due to start on Tuesday, 13 April and will run until Friday 7, May.

The union has not made public details of the strike action but the council says workers will still be turning up for part of their allotted shifts, starting work at 6am and then refusing to work at 9am.

The council says it intends to prioritise the collection of general waste, including food waste, to minimise the impact of the strike for residents and ensure that the most unpleasant waste which can cause an odour and attract wildlife is collected regularly.

The council has issued the following statement: "This applies to all households in Thurrock including low and high-rise blocks with communal bin stores.

"During this time:

• collection of general household waste in the green or grey bin will be prioritised

• residents should put all food waste and smaller items of garden waste in with general waste

• recycling will not be collected and residents are asked to rinse out and compress recycling as much as they can in the blue recycling bin to ensure recycling waste is contained as much as possible

• residents should present their household waste on their normal day of the week for collection

"Thurrock Council remains extremely disappointed that Unite the Union is taking its members out on this unnecessary, disruptive and potentially damaging and costly action.

"Discussions are still ongoing with all three trade unions and directly with staff. It urges trade union officials to play a more meaningful role in the ongoing formal consultation process on proposed changes instead. Continued claims that the council is reducing annual salaries are simply untrue."