Bins still full: 'Refuse workers have misread people's mood'

WITH every day of slippy roads and frozen pavements, frustration has grown in Edinburgh during the big freeze which has gripped the Capital and all of Scotland.

Most people appreciate that the council and others charged with helping us through the wintry conditions have faced nearly unprecedented difficulties.

But everyone who has slipped or found their road blocked has wondered if more couldn't be done. So have the 40 per cent of the city's households which have had their waste disposal services disrupted – with some bins not emptied since before Christmas.

It will infuriate many, then, to discover that bin men refused to go out and do their jobs yesterday because they felt the conditions were too bad.

No more snow had fallen, with the weather better than on previous days, leading to speculation that the refusal had less to do with health and safety than them being upset at the council's latest moves to modernise pay – which in many cases will mean wage cuts.

The refuse workers have a case to make on the modernisation issue. But they have seriously misread local people's mood in using the city's overflowing bins as a bargaining tool.

Refusing to help out at this difficult time is a sure way to lose public support and their patience.

The fight goes on

THE fact that Lothian's chief fire officer took time, while announcing his own retirement, to pay tribute to Ewan Williamson is testimony to the impact the firefighter's loss has had.

Brian Allaway – who himself deserves plaudits for his service to the region – had already spoken about Ewan's death while helping save others at the Balmoral bar blaze in July.

Along with the many thousands who signed our petition, he had also backed the Evening News campaign to have Ewan posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

There was some disappointment that the medal was not awarded at the first opportunity, when the Queen's office announced her New Year's Honours in December.

But the honours system is a complicated one and it typically takes more than a year for such nominations – made by Chancellor Alistair Darling in November – to be fully considered.

So our campaign goes on. The News will continue to press the case for this honour, which would thank all of the brave men and women of our rescue services – and, of course, most of all Ewan for his ultimate sacrifice.