IN a somewhat bizarre twist to the current industrial dispute between Thurrock Council and its bin workers, crews will be working a full day on Bank Holiday Monday (3 May) – picking up the extra allowance that the council is fighting to cut.

Members of the Unite union are currently withdrawing their labour from 9am each day as part of their dispute with the council over planned changes to terms and condition.

However, they have not called this coming Monday as a strike day so will be working a full day collecting green or grey bins.

On Monday crews will be covering their usual refuse rounds as well as catching up on any refuse bins not collected on Thursday and Friday. Residents are being advised by the council to put their green or grey bin out on the usual day and leave them out until refuse has been collected.

The council says that during the ongoing strike action:

• 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

The council has also opened up five sites where people can take recycling that would normally go in your blue bin, or waste that would normally go in your green/grey bin. All dropped-off items must be tied securely in bags. Only bags of small household items will be accepted.

Drop-off points are open from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 6pm, at:

• The former Yara Terminal site, London Road, Purfleet-on-Thames, RM19 1PA,
• The former Culver Centre site, Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon, RM15 5BX,
• The former council depot site, Curzon Drive, Grays, RM17 6BQ,

Units H and I, Hume Avenue, Tilbury, RM18 8YD,

• The Billet site, Billet Lane, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 0AR,

The staff and vehicles at these sites are not part of Thurrock Council and people visiting are asked to continue to follow Covoid-safeguarding procedures when using these sites.

Collections will also take place up to 12 noon on Saturdays at the Stanford, Tilbury and South Ockendon sites.