Hills Municipal Collections latest pay offer has been rejected by members of the GMB Union and notification has been given that strike action affecting household waste and recycling collections in Wiltshire will commence on Monday 7 March for two weeks. The number of union members who are likely to strike has been reduced following UNISON members accepting the pay deal. Hills Municipal Collections is also awaiting Unite Union’s response to the offer which is due next week.

A spokesperson for Hills said: “This is a very disappointing outcome, we have moved our offer considerably over the previous weeks and we firmly believe that the pay offer provides a fair settlement in relation to inflation and indexation, which we know is impacting the cost of living. The offer is in line or ahead of comparable local pay awards and it provides positive certainty in a time of increasing volatility.

Hills Municipal Collections teams will work with Wiltshire Council to minimise disruption to household collection services. This industrial action has been timed to coincide with the roll-out of new collection rounds, and we ask for resident’s understanding whilst we do all we can to deal with the issue.

Residents should continue to place their bins out for collection as normal, and check Wiltshire Council’s social media feeds or visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk for up-to-date information on waste collection services in their area.