News

Bord na Móna customers could face price hikes as workers vote to strike

Bord na Móna customers could face price hikes as workers vote to strike
Image: Bord na Móna Recycling

Bord na Móna Recycling customers in the South East region are among the customers that could be facing disruption to bin collection as workers have voted to strike.

It's in a row over employment terms and the proposed privatisation of the waste collection company.

Bord na Móna operates in 12 counties nationwide including Wexford, Carlow and Tipperary.

95% of SIPTU members balloted voted in favour of industrial action.

Advertisement

Adrian Kane, SIPTU Divisional Organiser for the Energy Sector, says the ballot was overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action and that it's the most he's ever seen and that workers at Bord na Móna Recycling say they're sick of the way the company has treated them.

"I'm a long time doing this job and I've never seen such a percentage of people voting for strike action. The reason why they have done that is that they're damned angry with the way the company have treated them to date. This is about trying to prevent the privatisation of Bord na Móna recycyling, the last publicly owned domestica waste collection service.

"If we don't stop this what will happen is that there'll be huge concentration within a few hands and prices will start to rise for the customers.

"We have looked for a meeting with the Minister Darragh O'Brien. To date, he has not granted us that meeting. This decision flies in the face of two government reports last year. Both reports recommended the remunicipalisation of waste in Dublin."

Advertisement

Price Hikes

Bord na Móna Recycling customers could face price hikes if the company is sold, according to SIPTU.

The semi-state company operates waste collection in Counties Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Westmeath, Kildare, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Meath, Carlow and Tipperary.

Adrian Kane from SIPTU, says Bord na Mona Recycling's move would have drastic effects.

Advertisement

"If this sale goes ahead it means that the remunicipalisation of waste in Dublin will not be possible. The strategic importance of Bord na Móna recycling can not be underestimated."

The Environment Minister is being asked to stop the sale of Bord na Móna Recycling.

Representatives for workers will meet with the company next Thursday after SIPTU members voted in favour of strike action.

Employees aren't happy to accept new terms and conditions of employment and want to stop the privatisation of the waste collector.

Adrian Kane from SIPTU, says the sale will affect customers' pockets.

"We don't want to impact on the service but we're left very little choice. We tried to engage with the company on this strategic review, they wouldn't even meet us until we threatened to ballot for a strike. Our hand has very much been forced in this this situation.

"If we end up in a case of strike action, we will give notice to people."

Keep up to date with all the latest on our website Beat102103.com.

Advertisement