Industrial action has been ongoing since August as Unite members call for union recognition at Sheffield’s Lumley Street depot.

The GMB holds majority membership at Lumley Street. Unite's membership is around 39%.

According to Unite, its members accepted a deal from Veolia after ‘months of painstaking negotiations’, but the waste firm backed out at the last minute, leaving staff ‘furious’.

Veolia said it did not sign the agreement because the GMB had raised a counter dispute with the Trades Union Congress and Veolia.

Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said she had never known an employer back out of a deal that was so close to agreement.

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: ‘In effect Veolia has withdrawn its own proposal once the union agreed it. We made no additional demands.’

A Veolia spokesperson said the GMB and Unite needed to work together, adding: ‘It is time for this to end.

‘Veolia’s focus remains on supporting our team locally and keeping services and collections running for the residents of Sheffield who we are proud to serve.’

This article first appeared on LocalGov. 

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