AS the clock ticks down towards the latest change in Thurrock bin services, with general waste collection (green and black bins) due to switch to fortnightly collections in September, members of the council's bin collection teams have spoken up about their disquiet about changes and deficiencies in the operation and management of waste collections in the borough.

They say they are fed up with bearing the brunt of the public's anger and concerns about recent failures in the bins collection system and say it is a complete mismanagement of the service that is to blame for problems – which they see getting worse in the autumn when the latest cash-saving measures come into force.

That decision was rubber-stamped at a recent cabinet meeting, buried deep in documentation and without any discussion.

The council has agreed to move general waste collections to a fortnightly system

Critics of the council administration say ruling Conservative cabinet members delegated environmental services director Julie Rogers to make a decision, rather than have it laid at their own door!

With the support of the Unite union, members of the council's bins teams have spoken to Thurrock Nub News today to highlight their many concerns. Word of the staff disquiet and the likelihood of issues being shared in the public domain may have been a factor in the preparation and publication of an official council statement this evening (Friday, 22 April) publicly apologising for failings in the service.

Currently, general waste bins and recycling bins in Thurrock are collected weekly – with garden waste bins collected fortnightly.

However, over the past few months, residents across the borough have complained bitterly about missed collections and many have taken to social media to lash out at bin collection staff. That, say members of staff, is unfair and they say the finger of blame points directly to the administration of the council which has failed to honour promises made when last year's bin strike was settled – and that blunders, including the purchase of bin collection wagons that are unfit for purpose, have contributed to recent problems.

Staff dispute the Thurrock Council administration claim that recent problems are the faults of JustStopOil protests which have taken place across the borough.

They say the problems are largely caused by a marked reluctance from the council management and councillors to engage with staff and draw on their practical experience and knowledge of the borough.

Last year, workers in the council's environment department staged a six week strike over proposed cuts to their income and adverse conditions. The strike was eventually settled and hailed as a victory by workers. The story of their 'success' in the bins battle was told in a story in the left-wing Tribune publication last May. However, Thurrock Council also took a bullish approach to the end of the strike and officers and councillors played down the outcome of the industrial action.

What has happened since has seen changes to working practices in the collections service, culminating in increased operation problems over recent weeks.

These, claim workers who spoke to Thurrock Nub News today, relate to a systematic management failing with the services and the pressures of cost-saving as the council moves towards fortnightly general waste collections – a situation many members of the previous ruling Conservative administration had said would never 'happen on their watch'.

Speaking to Nub News today – and having asked for a commitment to anonymity because of fear of reprisal from management – nominated members of the bins collection teams which includes drivers and loaders, said they wanted to make the public of Thurrock aware of the real causes for bin delays.

They stressed that while the JustStopOil protests had caused some problems, they were minimal. At no point, they say, was access to and from the council's main depot significantly hindered.

Instead they say the most significant change to the operation of waste collections services is a decision by the council to change start times.

A spokesperson for the workers said: "We used to go in as early as 5.30am to get ready and drivers would go in first to get the keys and do the safety checks on vehicles which they are required to do by law. Loaders would come in later and over a period of a couple of hours all the vehicles would go out of the depot on a staggered basis.

"Now the management insists that everyone has to be in at 6am and all the keys are given out by one person, which means getting 32 vehicles on the road now takes much longer. And while the drivers are waiting for keys and then doing the checks, the loaders are standing about – getting paid for doing nothing.

"That has been one fundamental change that has meant wagons are not going out until much later than they used to.

"The council has also now instigated a system called 'cross stream working' which means that crews switch to another route if they finish early on a particular coloured bin service to help complete other rounds but this doesn't work, and it leads to confusion and delays.

"We saw over Easter a complete shambles of forward planning. Over many years crews have been happy to work on bank holidays. As part of the settlement of the strike we gave up the triple time we got for bank holidays and swopped it for pay and a day in lieu and we were happy to go in, as we have done for years, on bank holidays which is what people in Thurrock have come to expect.

"But the management, led by the main supervisor who largely works from home and spends much of his working week driving to and from his home four hours away from Thurrock, said no. They didn't want collections on Bank Holidays and instead said we should go in on Saturdays. Which disrupts family life and time workers want to spend with their families, so not so many go in – hence many hours are lost at bank holidays and this Easter, in particular, became a shambles.

Environment portfolio holder Cllr Andrew Jefferies got behind the wheel of a new waste truck for a promotional picture but workers say he would learn a lot if he went out on a round them them.

"And we have the purchase of new 32 ton bin wagons. Which are good and do serve the purpose of meaning crews can be on the road longer before returning to empty – but unfortunately in Thurrock there are many tight courtyards and narrow streets. These new vehicles are several feet longer than the old vehicles and it takes a lot of shuffling and reversing and manoeuvring to get them in and out of some areas so any time saved is lost – and much more as well.

"In some areas we can't get the new vehicles in and so we are having to take longer to walk in and get the bins – or residents are being told to bring their bins out to a central point, which they don't like. Nobody asked us about how the new vehicles would work and we know the area better than most people – especially those who live four hours outside of the borough!

"And it appears the impression is being given we came out of the strike a lot better off. I can assure you we didn't. What we did do was protect our existing incomes that the council wanted to cut but I can promise you, having had a year's pay packets since, that even with the increase we have just got, we are no better off – in fact with inflation soaring, like so many other ordinary people, we are worse off. We haven't had £80 a week pay rises!"

That was a clear gripe at the significant pay increases that senior council staff members received through the recent annual pay rise, headed by CEO Lyn Carpenter who picks up that significant weekly increase, as opposed to the £10 or £12 a week increase granted to bin workers. Those facts emerged in February and while threats at the time of protest strike action appear to have dissipated, it appears a lot of disquiet remains in the ranks of 'ordinary workers'.

But the workers who put their views to Thurrock Nub News today say they are willing to discuss all matters on the table and they are keen to improve the quality of the service offered to borough residents.

However, they say they run up against a brick wall when it comes to trying to instigate dialogue.

We were told: "What we would like is some of the leading councillors to come down and talk to us. Perhaps even go out on a few rounds. To see for themselves what the problems are.

"To listen to the experience we have of actually operating this service.

"Make no mistake, we recognise that not all our workers are perfect. There will be shirkers and those that get away with doing as little as they can. That's life. But the majority live and work in this community.

"They are hurt, disappointed and angry about the criticism they are getting from residents on some social media platforms. It hurts when they are called lazy and money-grabbing, when that is just not the case. Please, Thurrock councillors, Come and talk to us!"

Just blue bins will be collected wekly after September.

The workers also expressed the fear that if things don't change, there will be more problems later this year.

We were told: "With the switch coming to fortnightly general waste collections the council is making its preparations. Which means that they are not taking on any more agency workers because they don't want to enter into contracts because they won't need those people when the bin rounds are cut in September.

"But without agency workers we can't cover the existing rounds. No-one is going to commit now to working in Thurrock when the job won't last beyond September when there is work available elsewhere. So we will have more staff shortages. And when the service cuts come in September, we are not confident the council has got a proper plan in place for managing it.

"If you cut a service to the bone, there is no room when things go wrong. But it is not the fault of the workers when those things go wrong and it is wrong they get the abuse.

"The decisions are being made by councillors, it would be nice if they got a bit closer to us and learned what the real world is all about."

This evening Thurrock Council issued the following release: "Thurrock Council unreservedly apologises to those households in Thurrock who have seen disruption to their waste collection - this has been below the high standards residents should rightfully expect and the standards the council sets itself in delivering this service.

"The recent JustStopOil protests caused some significant delays in bins being collected, with waste crews unable to gain access to the depot on a number of days. In addition, operational factors have further impacted the effective delivery of the service in some areas of the borough.

A spokesperson for Thurrock Council said: "The Council sincerely apologises to the residents of Thurrock that have been impacted by the disrupted waste collections. As a resident, you have a right to expect your waste to be collected in a consistent and efficient manner.

"On occasion, matters arise which are beyond the council's control. However, there have been some times in the past few weeks that our service to you simply hasn't been good enough. We are urgently taking action to resolve the service delivery issues as quickly as possible."

The council will provide regular updates on Thurrock Council's Facebook and Twitter feeds including information about any action to be taken by residents to present their bins for collection where roads have unfortunately been missed. Please do look out for this information as we aim to resolve the missed collections as quickly as possible.

Information is also available on the council's website, including how to report a missed bin: thurrock.gov.uk/missedbins

Thurrock Council has declined to answer any questions from Thurrock Nub News.