Tuesday's and Thursday's are rubbish days...

[Power Lunch Club]

The sites of the overflowing bins for trade and personal is now getting beyond a joke.

This dispute in Edinburgh is surely causeing a serious health risk to people and a real irratation to business, who aren't getting their trade waste taken away.

I think they workers have made their point, but it's going on too long now...if it carries on, they will lose any sympathy for their 'cause'.

 

[Former Member 1]

From Edinburgh's Website....

Background
Some Council waste collection and street cleaning staff are currently on a ‘work to rule’ which may be disrupting your waste collection and street cleaning services.

The staff involved are in dispute with the Council because we are introducing new pay arrangements. These new arrangements ensure fairness and equal pay for work of equal value as required by law. Staff who receive bonus payments as part of their wages (mainly refuse and street cleansing workers) are losing their bonus payments because of this.

The Council wants to work constructively with the trade unions and staff who are being affected but the changes are unavoidable for two reasons;

1) In order to meet our obligations under equal pay law we can no longer continue with our bonus payments.

2) All Scottish councils and the trade unions agreed years ago to "single status" which means that all council employees should be on a single pay scheme.

We understand this angry reaction to a cut in pay bonuses, however we have a period when pay is protected to sort this out. We need calm and patience on everybody’s part in difficult circumstances and want to thank the public and traders for their understanding.

What's the reality of this?

Well the one sure thing is that the above is pure spin; the dispute's FAR more complex than they'd paint it... If the will exited ways could (and should) be found to protect workers income. And what happened "years ago" with regard to 'other councils' is completely irrelevant as Edinburgh's refuse workers don't have 'single status' because in years gone by they played ball with the council to suit the council's ends at the time! Goalposts? Moving?

As for the job itself... When I was a wee laddie winding up "sweeping the streets" was as far down in the order of things as you could get....

Growing up, my best mate's much-older cousin was a bin man; he used to take us fishng, and I knew hi quite well. And more recently my (now deceased; he hung himself from a bridge near Bothwell half-a-dozen years ago) former Brother-In-Law drove a bin lorry.... So there are (or rather were) a couple of people I've known quite well first hand who do this sort of work....

Truth is, it's a degrading, stinking, filthy depressing badly paid job....

It carries no status. Often the children of cleansing staff are abused and bullied for what their parents do for a living. Bin men (and they are usually men) risk injury and disease, are often openly abused by the public.. My Brother-in-law was obviously ill; But the job he did played no small part in his demise. An end that he brought upon himself whilst on-the job; because in part it was what the job drove him to....

Truth is, you couldn't get me to do that work for £50K a year... And the reality (despite what you'll hear through the rumour mill) is that these people make a very meagre living performing a service that is all of despised, misunderstood and yet utterly essential...

Whatever way they ( ECC) twist it this boils down to fat-cats p!$$!ng from a great height on the heads of the poorest members of the workforce....

So they risk losing the sympathy of the middle-classes? That's EXACTLY the reaction that the corrupt politicians who run and administer Edinburgh are looking for.

They're finding ways of grubbing pennies from the bottom of the pile... to WHAT end? If anyone struggles to answer that just look for the Bl@@dy big holes in the road where they're installing a very big very expensive toy train set to massage some worthless twit's ego....

It's worth asking too why MANY people outside Edinburgh will be completely unaware of this situation. Why is news about this dispute being 'canned'? Will it take a couple of rotting dog carcasses hanging out a bin in Morningside before anyone pays attention?

I can guarantee you that the people REALLY responsible for this are laughing up their sleeves both at the workers and the public. The former being relatively toothless and the latter being relatively uninformed to the point where they'll soon do the Mandarin's dirty-work for them...

Edinburgh needs to get its act together. It's an utter disgrace....

 

[Gouldie0]

I have to say that it dawned on me whilst visiting the mother-in-law in Leith over the weekend........................ Why weren't the bins being emptied? I had no idea there was an ongoing pay dispute with the council and it's workers.

The trams are bad enough, 'ripping the heart out of small businesses' i read on a poster this morning but coupled with mountains of rubbish!! Tourist season in full flow and were turning up the streets and leaving the rubbish everywhere!!

I agree Edinburgh CC needs to get a grip and start valuing the correct areas of there workforce rather than the work shy management on cushty salaries.

For the record, i live in East Lothian and each day this week there has been a street cleaner on the High Street at 7 am in the morning picking up any loose litter and emptying public bins. Refuse collections happening as normal, including recycling collections. Why can't this approach be replicated!!!

 

[Former Member 1]

ECC generally seem hell bent on destroying the City.:cursing:

For the past 8 years I've spent mid-July onwards either filming for, or supervising interns from a major American TV news network. This year they ain't coming! Why? Because the festival and the City itself has been going downhill in recent years. The tin hat was put on it in late March of this year when their senior researchers came over and saw just how bad a mess the place was in....

Coverage of the strike has been 'muted' quite deliberately for several reasons. The key one being that, starved of publicity, the strike will do nothing but exhaust the patience of residents, loose the workers support and eventually cause the whole matter to blow over....

I'm in West Lothian and the first public report I heard about the strike was via "Real Radio" this morning. It's been mentioned elsewhere of course, but isn't getting the profile.

Anything that damages the (already relatively poor) image of our capital has a knock on effect right the way through the whole tourist trade.... And I include in that people selling Scottish crafts and gifts, folk based in other parts of Scotland etc...

What should be Scotland's shop window is being turned into a toilet by the people that run it. The only other European capital on a par with Edinburgh is Paris; and that's really not a good thing!

 

[Eagle]

Out of interest, how much do they get paid?

 

[stugster]

Out of interest, how much do they get paid?

A little birdie told me it was close to 20k, with an additional 60% bonus for just turning up for work.


P.S. I love how the council are keen to agree to draft more parking attendants in when they're on strike, but when it comes to serious health and safety matters (for once!) they don't do anything.

 

[Gouldie0]

P.S. I love how the council are keen to agree to draft more parking attendants in when they're on strike, but when it comes to serious health and safety matters (for once!) they don't do anything.

What a weird and wonderful world we live in..................... how much worse can't actually get?

 

[Former Member 1]

A little birdie told me it was close to 20k, with an additional 60% bonus for just turning up for work.

IF bin men were really earning on average £32K a year do you think so many of them would be living the lifestyle they do? i.e. Living in relatively poor housing, struggling to bring up their families....

Trust me; When my Brother-in-law was alive he STRUGGLED with overtime and bonuses to make £15K!

Realistically £20K-£22K is about what these guys will earn with overtime and bonuses and working all the hours God sends......

I've OFTEN heard (socially) them being quite boastful, making ridiculous claims in terms of what they're earning. But this is only in an attempt to bolster their social standing. It's not reality....

 

[Former Member 1]

Just cam across this...

Bin men start work to rule over plans to slash wages - Edinburgh Evening News

One bin man who contacted the Evening News said his wage would be slashed from £242 to £170 a week. He said staff had begun a work to rule which would see the Royal Mile "piled high" with uncollected rubbish.

And to throw some perspective on THAT I got a pen for my Birthday on Wednesday; It cost more than that bloke has to feed, clothe and house his kids for a week....

 

[stugster]

But Matt,

These bin-men don't just have bin-men jobs. 9 out of 10 probably have another job, maybe even a third job. The bin job is just a subsidy. An easy subsidy. A couple 12 hour shifts every week, then off for the next 6 months on a rotational basis (and getting paid).

It's not a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday job

 

[stugster]

Having said that though... Could any of us live on an instant 33% pay-cut?

The Council are to blame, without one shred of doubt. They should never have allowed a bonus-scheme for just turning up.

 

[Former Member 1]

But Matt,

These bin-men don't just have bin-men jobs. 9 out of 10 probably have another job, maybe even a third job. The bin job is just a subsidy. An easy subsidy. A couple 12 hour shifts every week, then off for the next 6 months on a rotational basis (and getting paid).

It's not a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday job

Stu; I SERIOUSLY hope that was meant to be some sort of Ironic comment; but if it is it's a bit lost on me... I've a Fatherless Niece and Nephew; so maybe it's a wee bit close to home...

Again, by way of contrast I for 41 weeks of the year, 15 hours a week earn half-as-much again as that bloke quoted. And I DO have effectively two other jobs and other streams of income on top of that....

It's not how the other half live that bothers me... It's how the bottom quarter manage...

 

[Power Lunch Club]

Labour are worried about the cost of the bin dispute....well you are the goverment, get you and you minions around the tables and sort it out.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Labour fears cost of bin dispute

 

[Power Lunch Club]

Labour are worried about the cost of the bin dispute....well you are the goverment, get you and you minions around the tables and sort it out.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Labour fears cost of bin dispute

Yes, yes....I know SNP....but they are all the same.

 

[Brian McIntosh]

So, does anyone know for a fact how much they get paid?

 

[Former Member 1]

Yes; I've spoken face to face to three of the guys today... I'm trying to raise interest in the story with one of the U.S. Networks....

The basic's £12600 for a 40-hour week. With bonuses, which are NOT for simply turning up, but subject to them meeting performance targets and include an enhancement for anti-social hours...

WITH overtime and bonuses they're taking home about £1000-£1200 per month...

The rumours about this being 'part time' are complete bunkum too. They work their 40 hours on a four-day shift pattern; but it IS a 40 hour week.... Many have extra jobs; NOT to keep the Porsche in Pirellis but to make sure they can feed their kids decently...

And, incidentally, I've seen the wageslips to confirm all this...

 

[Former Member 1]

One of the guys directed me to this...

Why your bins will not be emptied on time... - HibeesBounce.com - Hibernian FC Forums

From which I draw a few edited highlights.... One Bin Man writes...

The REAL truth:

All depts. of street cleansing (including myself) have been offered this:

You will lose your bonus. (without this, we earn 20p an hour above min. wage)

You will lose your 6 Public Holidays, and be forced to work them.

You will go onto monthly pay without consultation.

You WILL accept a wage-cut of between 4-5k per annum, unconditionally.

You Will go from.......e.g. 18k (max) to.....14k (max)

Double-time for Sundays is to be abolished, as is ALL weekend enhancements, you will work these days at normal rate.

You WILL accept, on average, £76 a week less. This WILL come with a 3 year wage freeze.

You WILL accept these new payments and conditions or face a 90-day termination of employment.

You may consult your Trade Unions on these matters, if you don`t agree IN FULL, your contract WILL be terminated after 90 days regardless of service length.



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Now for the full impact.

This "Myth" that the bin-men finish early is indeed true. However they START early, 5:00 a.m. normally, and fulfill their weekly quota of hours.

I work at Powderhall Depot, where daily, we have to fend off rats the size of domestic cats, and we Do have to deal with dirty needles, shitty nappies, rotting animal corpses, maggots and some things you could only imagine.

"Scaffies" also start early, and can only leave after completion of ALL routes designated.

Myself, at the hub of the proccesing of said waste, and trained far more highly than any other Depts. of Cleansing, including driving articulated lorries, JCB`s, 30 tonne forklift trucks, computers, overhead cranes, and multi-lift HGV`s, was offered this:

22k to 16k, for a 48 hour week, including nearly ALL weekends, to commence within 90 days, or dismissal.

I ask you this.

Could you afford to drop 6k virtually overnight?
Lose holidays?
3 year wage freeze at the lower rate?
Shorter hours?


Some see the "Cleanie" as an easy number, amigos, I assure you this is spin by a corrupt council.

This year`s Edinburgh Festival, will be dirty, smelly, seagull and rat-ridden, as it`s our only weapon of defence.

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They call it equal pay modernisation. LIE!

All women working within our Dept.s are paid EXACTLY what the men are.
Don`t be fooled by these liars.

So...................don`t expect or worry about your rubbish being collected late, this is simply the tip of a very large iceberg. It`s going to get very heavy.

Enjoy us whilst you can.

There are almost 2000 of us. Only 700 have chosen to act thus far.


Council Quote: "80% will be unaffected. 20% will gain."

I make that 100%.

Where the f*** do we fit in?

It`s gonna get ugly.

How does all this affect guys just trying to get by.....

As a wee addition, a bin-man I know well just got a mortgage recently.

He showed the bank manager his annual earnings, and was given the loan based on this.
He contacted his bank, told the main man that his earnings may change dramatically, for (in his case) 4k lower.

His reply? "Well, we shall have to look into re-possesion procedures if that`s the case."

The laddie has twins on the way.

20p an hour above minimum wage......

THAT alone is a scandal!

 

[Power Lunch Club]

This is just rubbish...4 weeks behind now in collecting the refuse.

Sure there is a public health issue here now and the goverment has to intervene.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Rubbish uplift four weeks behind

 

[Former Member 1]

They just don't give a damn Gordon; Neither the City Council OR the government...

They don't care about the bin men, the people of Edinburgh, public health or all the lost trade... They're just holding the people to ransom in order to protect their own places at the trough!

 

[Brian McIntosh]

Aren't private contractors now being drafted in? Just adds insult to injury.