Elected Member Briefing - Impact of Industrial Action - Refuse Collection Service

About this briefing note

Report by: Mark Butterworth, Head of Environmental and Consumer Services

Date: 30 August 2022

Subject: Impact of industrial action on refuse collection service

Responsible Officer: Sheila Best, Waste Services Manager and Nigel Taylor, Service Manager - Operations

Publication

This Briefing Note has been published on the Council's website following circulation to Councillors. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council. 

Details

Purpose

The purpose of this briefing is to advise elected members of the high-level impact of the first phase of industrial action on the Council's Refuse collection service, which took place between Friday 26 August - Monday 29 August 2022. 

Briefing information

Along with a number of other local authority areas across Scotland, employees within Perth & Kinross Council's refuse collection service who are members of the GMB trade union were involved in industrial action commencing on Friday 26 August at 00.00 and continuing each day until Monday 29 August at 23.59.    

This action impacted on the Council's ability to undertake refuse collections to households and businesses across Perth and Kinross who were due to receive collections on those days. In overall terms the estimated numbers and percentage of household collections missed were as follows:  

I can also confirm that all Recycling Centres remained open, other than the Recycling Centres at North Forr, Crieff and Auchterarder. 

Elected Members will recall that the consistent message to householders was to present their bins as normal, and if a bin was not collected, then the advice was to leave the bin out for 48 hours and we would endeavour to collect it.  However, if the bin was not collected within 48 hours, residents should return the bin to their property and re-present it on the next scheduled date. 

Residual Waste (green bin)

In relation to residual waste collections, residents were advised that we would endeavour to collect reasonable excess side waste on the next collection or, alternatively, that excess waste can be taken to Recycling Centres.  Residents were also directed to the Council Updates on any disruption to bin collection and recycling centre services web page to advise on Recycling Centre opening times for their area. 

Recycling Collections - Dry Mixed Recycling (blue bin) and Mixed Food & Garden (brown bin)

For recycling collections, we advised residents that until recycling collections resume that they should maximise the capacity of their recycling bins by filling them with the correct materials, except for food waste.  

We also advised residents to take any additional recycling materials to the recycling centres and points, where possible, and that we would endeavour to collect reasonable excess recycling on the next collection. 

If garden and food waste had not been collected within 48 hours, we advised that the food waste can be placed in the residual waste bin until collections resume.  

Commercial customers were individually contacted with information relevant to their services.  

The Council received just 27 calls to the Contact Centre with regard to missed collections nevertheless we will review the communications response following the first phase and agree further communications for those residents and customers affected by the second phase which will commence next week.  This includes residents whose collections fall on a Friday and Saturday in both phases.