Bord na Móna Recycling strike to hit Kildare households

A strike by Bord na Móna Recycling workers next month threatens to affect Kildare households.

BNM Recycling workers have served strike notice for April 2 and April 3 in dispute over terms of employment.

SIPTU members employed by Bord na Móna Recycling - the country’s last publicly owned domestic waste collection service - served notice on Tuesday March 18 of a two-day strike action which will stop the company’s domestic waste collection services on April 2 and April 3.

SIPTU Divisional Organiser, Adrian Kane, said: “The management of Bord na Móna Recycling have carried out a plan to privatise the company behind the backs of its workforce. No legally sound guarantees have been provided to our members that their hard fought for terms and conditions of employment will be maintained by a new employer.

READ NEXT: New doctor's surgery planned for Kildare town

“The deal to privatise the State’s last publicly owned domestic waste collection service has been structured in a manner which doesn’t provide the workers with the legal protections to their terms and conditions of employment which is normal in such a transfer of owners.

“Management has so far refused to provide the workers with the legal protection of a Registered Employment Agreement that will ensure their standards of employment are not reduced and that under their new employer they can maintain their right to collectively bargain.”

He added: “Our members have been forced to take this course of action. They are calling upon the loyal customer base of Bord na Móna Recycling to support them in this action, as protecting the manner in which the company operates will ensure that they will not be victim to massive increases in bin charges and ensure the service maintains its record of adherence to the highest standards of environmental legislation.”

SIPTU Organiser, Pat McCabe, said: “This is the final opportunity for the company and Government to engage seriously with Union representatives on the future of this key public service. Union representatives will meet with Bord na Móna Recycling management on Thursday (20th March).

“We are also renewing our request that the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O'Brien, meets with a delegation of Bord na Móna Recycling workers and Union organisers to discuss this move by the State out of waste management and recycling.”

He added: “It is the Minister who has the final responsibility concerning whether this service is sold and if our members are to have their terms of employment protected. The buck stops with him and he should have the decency to hear the workers’ side on the issues surrounding this proposed sale.”

The strike will impact Bord na Móna Recycling domestic waste collection services in counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Meath, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.