Sheffield City Council cannot allow their loyal workers to be replaced by inter-city scabs on overtime and Veolia should be kicked off the contract forthwith says GMB.

Multinational rubbish company, Veolia, is bringing refuse crews from the London Borough of Haringey to break an industrial dispute in Sheffield by GMB members involved in a long-standing dispute with the company over their refusal to settle a pay claim.

The strike breakers will travel first class from London to Sheffield and will be housed in one of the city’s finest hotels.

Bert Schouwenburg, GMB International Officer, said:

“Veolia are a multi-billion pound company who think they are above the law. GMB members in Sheffield are exercising their legitimate right to take industrial action after going through the proper legal processes. Instead of sitting down with the Union and resolving the dispute, Veolia prefer to indulge in the sort of bully boy tactics that have given them a bad name all over the world.

Lest we forget, this is the company that sued the Egyptian government for daring to raise the minimum wage. Sheffield City Council cannot allow their loyal workers to be replaced by inter-city scabs on overtime and Veolia should be kicked off the contract forthwith.”

Lee Parkinson, GMB Organiser, said: “This dispute could and should have been settled months ago. What has shocked us is the lengths that Veolia are prepared to go rather than sit down and negotiate a deal. Instead they have chosen to throw more fuel on the fire by bringing this labour in.

A further strike will now take place on Monday and our permanent overtime ban will remain in place, in fact, consideration will now be given to escalate the action. We need our Council, their client, to intervene and get them back to the negotiation table.

END

Contact:

Lee Parkinson on 07812 980806 or Peter Davies on 07501 228 313 or Bert Schouwenburg on 07974 251764 or GMB press office at

[email protected] or on 07958 156846