Chaos as rubbish collection in City of Sydney ceases for 24 hours for second week in a row

Sydney streets will again be filled with overflowing bins after workers walked off the job for the second week in a row.

Workers are striking over pay and staffing conditions that they say poses risks to community ‘hygiene, health and safety’. Picture: Supplied

Thousands of bins are expected to be left overflowing in the streets again, as waste workers strike for the second week in a row.

Members of the Transport Workers Union employed by waste giant Cleanaway on contracts with the City of Sydney took industrial action on Tuesday over a dispute for better pay and working conditions.

The 24-hour strike comes after Cleanaway and the Lord Mayor failed to come to the table for talks with Transport Workers’ Union representatives to finalise an agreement.

Cleanaway workers will strike for 24 hours. Picture: Supplied

The union has accused Cleanaway of “delay tactics and intimidation”.

In a statement, the TWU said on Friday that “Lord Mayor Clover Moore declined the workers’ request to meet regarding the ongoing battle to achieve sustainable pay and conditions, ease chronic driver shortages and prevent further industrial action”.

TWU Sydney workers on strike over pay and staffing conditions in February last year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

TWU added that Cleanaway, an Australian waste management company with extensive operations throughout Australia and the UK, was also refusing to meet.

The union indicated it would also be filing a dispute in the Fair Work Commission over allegations Cleanaway falsely communicated to workers, the Lord Mayor and the media that negotiations had ended.

Rubbish overflows on the streets of Newtown in Sydney's inner west. Picture: Supplied

A dispute has also been filed in the Federal Court by the union over Cleanaway’s failure to provide timely information to workers and the Fair Work Commission.

TWU NSW and Queensland secretary Richard Olsen said the company had “turned its back on negotiations” just as progress was being made.

“Although the workforce has achieved an improved pay offer from Cleanaway, the company is now trying to bypass the union and pressure workers into accepting a deal that would still send them backward,” he said.

TWU NSW/Queensland secretary Richard Olsen is calling on the council to intervene over Cleanaway’s low pay and understaffing crisis in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“(The Mayor) can’t just sweep the crisis in City of Sydney’s waste collection under the rug.”

Mr Olsen called on the Mayor to address chronic worker shortages “caused by poor pay” as well as a “serious build-up of rubbish” that has left the community “concerned for hygiene, health and safety”.

“Workers do not want to be on strike,” he said.

“For months, the workforce has tried to reach a fair outcome, but Cleanaway has used delay tactics and intimidation to drag this out.

“We call on the Lord Mayor to reconsider her refusal to meet with workers and do what is best for the community.”

Bins overflow on City of Sydney's streets on Tuesday morning. Picture: Supplied

Last week, waste workers refused to collect at least 24,000 bins in the City of Sydney council area for 24 hours.

The backlog of collections resulted in overflowing bins in multiple suburbs.

City of Sydney councillors Linda Scott and Yvonne Weldon are reportedly supporting the workers’ claims that services have deteriorated since waste removal work was outsourced to Cleanaway.

At a press conference held on Tuesday morning, Mr Olsen said industrial action was “far from done”.

“Cost of living is out of control and you’re asking these workers to take a pay reduction,” he said.

“It’s totally disgusting, it’s garbage.

“(Workers) are keeping us safe by ensuring the garbage is picked up … and we can’t ask them to take hundreds of dollars in pay cuts.

“The wheels fell off (negotiations) when we realised that what the company was trying to give us in pay increases they were taking away in penalty rates.”

Mr Olsen didn’t rule out more strike action. Picture: Facebook

Mr Olsen rejected suggestions that the council wasn’t responsible for negotiations, claiming that it “holds the purse strings” that pay waste management contractor Cleanaway.

He also said that workers had been “gagged by the company and threatened with termination if anyone speaks to the media”.

Some community members promptly took to social media to express their support for the workers.

“Call to heel,” said one.

“The mayor needs to be sacked, this is disgusting, councils should make sure workers are paid properly so we can go forward,” said another.

Ms Moore told NCA NewsWire on Tuesday morning that she had met with Cleanaway’s chief executive to “discuss their contract and service delivery issues”.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the council gave ‘the highest priority to delivering this essential service’. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

“The City supports the rights of workers to take action to achieve fair wages and conditions, and there may be additional industrial action,” she said.

“While Cleanaway has an excellent track record of delivering this fundamental service, due to a range of factors – some within their control, and some outside their control – the expected standards of the City have not been met of late.

“Cleanaway have assured me that they are working to resolve the industrial negotiations as quickly as possible.

“An offer has been made and the process for taking this to a formal vote by employees has commenced.”