Residents in the Armagh area are facing ongoing disruption regarding bin collections, with Unite the Union having informed the ABC Council that strike action has been extended until Friday, September 13.
While a majority of councillors did not comment on the matter at Tuesday’s (August 27) monthly meeting of the local authority, some elected representatives reacted angrily to the news.
Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy relayed the following council announcement to the chamber: “I wish to provide you with an update in relation to the ongoing industrial action which is causing significant disruption to bin collections across the Armagh area.
“Unite the Union has informed Council that strike action has been extended until Friday, September 13, 2024.
“Council is extremely disappointed in this course of action and deeply regrets the impact this is having on residents.
“As this is a live matter, Council cannot comment on any ongoing case. Updated information on service disruption is available on the council’s website, along with the frequently asked questions.
“Household recycling centres remain open as normal, and we are asking residents, if you can, to please download the ABC Council app for direct communication.
“On behalf of the council I wish to thank the bin collection crews who have worked over many evenings and weekends over the past number of weeks, and who remain committed to reducing the impact that this is having on households across the Armagh area.
“A further meeting with DEA members has been scheduled for tomorrow, when officers will take members’ questions.”
Alderman Gareth Wilson (DUP, Cusher DEA) said he felt duty-bound to relay his constituents’ strong feelings on this issue: “As a councillor we’re elected reps and we’re representing the views of the public, and you only have to look at the council’s own Facebook feed to see the level of discontent and annoyance that is existing on this particular issue.
“I know I have had hundreds of messages about this particular problem. It’s growing in significance and the impacts of it are also growing for households, and the hazards that it is presenting.
“So I’m doing my duty tonight as a public representative, and passing those concerns on to the full council as I said I would.
“I do thank all the staff that have been involved in trying to resolve this issue. That includes all the the workers out on the roads who have been going above and beyond in terms of getting to mop up all the missed collections, which are running into thousands of missed bins.
“At this stage I know brown bins are becoming a major problem. I have pushed mine as far away from the house as I possibly can without cars driving into it, but you open it once and the flies are coming out of it, it’s nearly moving on its own.
“The three times weekly meetings have been very very useful, also those staff behind the scenes who have been dealing with individual queries.
“There’s smoke coming out of computer keyboards probably all day, and we really do appreciate [staff handling queries], but in terms of public frustration it’s off the charts.
“I know people aren’t really interested in what the causes of this are, they just want their bins emptied. They’re paying enough rates for that service and they expect it to be done.
“I’m just doing my duty in passing on that level of annoyance that exists on this issue, so I really do hope that we can get a resolution before the middle of the month.”
Councillor Scott Armstrong (DUP, Armagh DEA) was just as frustrated over the whole situation: “I appreciate we can’t get into the specifics of the industrial action, but I would like to say a few words.
“Firstly we would like to thank the management staff and the head of department for taking an obscene amount of calls from myself at all hours, at nights as well, so I just want to pass some thanks to the officers there who have been very helpful .
“But I would like to put on record too [the feelings of] the constituents of the Armagh and Cusher area.
“I share your frustration and your anger. I am a ratepayer just like yourselves, my bins have not been emptied despite what some people might have thought – that in Council you get special privileges.
“My bins are still sitting there, full, so I do share your frustration, I share your anger.
“We are now 10 years into this amalgamation of councils, and yet our refuge depots are still operating as three separate entities. That’s concerning.
“Once this has been cleared up and everything’s back to normal, [we should] have a conversation around how we then move forward as a council to everybody working off the same page, and not having these separate entities within our own council.”
Councillor Keith Ratcliffe (TUV, Cusher DEA) felt strongly that ratepayers should get value for money in terms of service delivery: “It’s extremely disappointing that the strike is continuing until September 13. I’ve had hundreds of messages, like the other members of Cusher DEA and Armagh.
“I would like to thank the officers and the staff doing overtime, for everything that they have done to try to relieve the pressure.
“I totally understand the frustration of constituents. They’re paying for a service and it’s not being delivered.
“The brown bin situation, that’s obviously going to be a big problem going forward.
“But I would like to thank the staff that has done overtime because they have been going out doing their full day’s work, and then doing extra hours.
“Without them we would really be in a big mess.
“I just hope this soon comes to a conclusion and we can get back to normal.”
Alderman Paul Berry (Independent, Cusher DEA) paid tribute to those members of staff who are doing their best to minimise disruption: “I would concur with all that has been said before me.
“Especially those councillors in the Armagh and Cusher DEA areas know the immense pressure that is placed upon ourselves locally at this current time, but also on our officers and staff, our director, but also the guys and girls on the ground who are doing an immense amount of work.
“The pressure and stress that this is adding to our staff on the ground, not just those in the refuge collection of things but also the recycling centres, because the tonnage there has gone up dramatically.
“It’s a good provision to have but the staff there are completely and utterly flat out.
“Obviously we’re keen to get an end to this, it is very depressing and annoying that Unite the Union continue to hold this strike, but hopefully soon they will find some wisdom and we will get back to delivering that service that people are paying for.
“People, quite rightly, are sick to the teeth of these strikes. [They’re paying] rates on their properties and they’re asking the question, what’s the rates for?
“We all want to see an end to this and I hope that those men who are on the strike line will find a bit of common sense and that we will get back to work.
“I would like to place in record, especially on the medical waste side of things, I want to thank the staff.
“Every day we’re getting updates and there’s team meetings. There’s a good communication line there.
“So to the general public, we’re not ignoring this, pressure is being applied and of course we’re taking a lot of that pressure – but that’s what we’re elected for – and we can assure them that we will continue to represent them and try to get an end to this.”
