50 bin men call off sick in two days

Published on Saturday 5 September 2009 11:31

ALMOST one in three of the city's bin men have phoned in sick for the last two days, with the "stress" of the ongoing bin dispute being blamed.

The council's refuse collection service has suffered from a wave of absence towards the end of this week, with 50 staff calling in sick on Thursday and yesterday.

Council bosses are investigating some of the cases and, if they believe them to be suspicious, say sick pay will be withheld.

The high level of absence looks set to lead to a new flare-up in the bin dispute, which is now about to enter its tenth week.

Union leaders are already angry that staff have "unlawfully" had pay reduced amid claims that they are not doing enough work – and staff missing out on sick pay is likely to lead to a new fall-out.

Union leaders today defended the staff who have been absent and said that morale among the 170 refuse workers has now plummeted to a new low as a result of the dispute.

Stephen MacGregor, a convener for the trade union Unite, said: "If people are not well enough to attend their work it is only right that they call off sick. I can't argue if a doctor's signed my members off sick."

When asked what the cause of the high level of absence is, Mr MacGregor said: "It doesn't do anybody any good working a day's work and being told they won't get paid at the end of it.

"I've had guys in tears at the depot saying they'll be thrown out of their house.

Our members are carrying out all their duties relating to their contract and I don't understand where the council are coming from.

"I've said before that morale is at an all-time low and couldn't get any worse. Now it has."

Some members have told Unite that all staff have been warned by individual managers that if they call in sick they will not be paid.

One member of staff said: "At a union meeting they said that 30 of the guys that are off with stress. It's no wonder when the management are deciding at 2pm that they have partially performed and deducting their pay."

"There was a 60-odd-year-old guy who was crying because of the way he's been treated."

However, the claim has been denied by council sources, who say managers will only dock pay through the correct procedures if the absence is found to be suspicious. There are currently nine bin men who have been sent home because managers claim they are not working properly, and each could face disciplinary action.

However, a spokeswoman for the city council said: "Council policy prevents us from discussing individual personnel issues. Sickness absence in the refuse collection service is being managed in accordance with council procedures."

Meanwhile, there appears to be no sign of the dispute reaching an end, with council officials and union leaders now not due to meet again until September 17.