Zarah ChoudharyMembers of the public on the Wybourn estate in Sheffield are showing their support for Unite members in their long running dispute with the waste management company, Veolia.
Residents on Manor Oaks Road and Saunders Road on the Wybourn estate will be putting up placards and placing protest stickers on their black waste bins on 21st February 2025 at Manor Oaks Road and Saunders Road from 7am until 1:30pm.
They will be urging Veolia to sign the agreement to end this dispute.
The residents will also be attending an event at the Pat Midgely Community Hub between 11am and 1:30pm where they will meet Unite members and their families involved in this dispute.
Local councillors and MPs have also been invited.
Andy Rollson, a local resident, said: “I have been a resident of Sheffield for 50 years and I think it’s wrong that a company like Veolia can charge taxpayers millions of pounds for their service but refuse to recognise workers rights at their depot.
“These workers are taxpayers too and deserve respect”
Beverley Hustelby, a local resident, added: “I have lived in Sheffield for 59 years now and I think it’s outrageous that working people are treated with such contempt.
“Veolia and the council need to stop making excuses and end this dispute by signing the agreement they made before Christmas.”
Workers at Veolia’s Lumley Street depot have been taking part in continuous strike action since 20th August, 2025.
In December last year, an agreement was presented to Unite by the company to sign which it did, unfortunately Veolia representatives pulled the agreement at the eleventh hour, reneging on the deal and prolonging the strike action according to Unite.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “In all my years in the union movement I have never known a deal to be this close only for the employer to back out and betray the workforce at the last minute.
“Veolia had offered recognition, and we had accepted. To go back on its word is an act of utter cowardice. Veolia’s management should be ashamed of itself.”
The union has now taken this dispute into the community of Sheffield in the hope that the council will listen to the people it serves and settle this dispute.
Onay Kasab, national lead officer at Unite said: “Our members are rightly furious that Veolia would reach an agreement, which let us not forget is based on a document which it drafted and proposed, only for it to now say it will not stand by it.
“In effect Veolia has withdrawn its own proposal once the union agreed it. We made no additional demands.
“This is straightforward duplicity. But we will not back down. We will not give in. And we will stay the course in this dispute.”
A spokesperson from Veolia said: “Our position has been consistent throughout and we will not back down – Veolia will support Unite recognition at Sheffield, if agreed with GMB.
“We have considered any and all options to break the deadlock, but this is not an employer-union dispute. This is an inter-union issue between GMB and Unite.
“Unite has now committed to explore the courtesy agreement GMB has offered, and it is up to both unions to find a solution to this issue.
“In spite of our commitment to dialogue, Veolia has been the target of a relentless and misguided campaign of intimidation and harassment by Sharon Graham and Unite officials, who seem willing to continue spending its members’ money, time and reputation to that aim.
“Our employees, customers, investors and stakeholders have been harassed by Unite picketing their offices and events.
“We have been the target of repeated and defamatory allegations of union-busting.
“This is completely untrue – Veolia UK has a rich history of industrial relations and we will always respect the right of all employees to be a member of a trade union of their choice.
“We will continue to focus on what matters – honouring our commitment to our hard working frontline workers and ensuring that Sheffield residents’ bins are collected.”
