Zarah ChoudharyUnite members working for Veolia at a refuse centre in Sheffield have voted to continue industrial action.
Unite members at the Lumley Street depot in Sheffield, employed by outsourcing company Veolia, have been on continuous strike since August.
According to Unite, Veolia refused to recognise Unite and sign its own proposed agreement, despite having similar recognition agreements all over the country.
Negotiations took place at the end of 2024 with agreement being reached by both sides.
In the lead up to and during negotiations, the employer, in written communication, stated that it had no problem with recognition for Unite at the depot.
On this basis, an agreement was reached only for the employer to then refuse to sign it.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “Despite Veolia’s game playing and its refusal to do what is fair and right, the workers have remained strong and have reaffirmed their strike mandate.
“This is a clear show of strength and underlines their determination that they will not be defeated.
“This ballot sends a message loud and clear to Veolia – recognise our union now because Unite are backing our members however long this fight lasts.”
Unite claimed that Veolia engaged in a ‘dishonest’ social media campaign implying it had no intention of awarding recognition – despite its past commitment.
Legal requirements mean Unite members have to be regularly re-balloted over their decision to take strike action.
Unite also targeted Veolia’s operations in France, protested at a conference in Arizona, and will continue to put pressure on their customers and suppliers to stop doing business with them.
Shane Sweeting, regional officer at Unite, said: “This long running dispute is entirely of Veolia’s own making. After our members asked for Unite to be recognised, it could have been done so within days.
“Instead, Veolia has failed our members, failed the residents of Sheffield and now faces the consequences. Our members will continue to do whatever it takes in their fight for recognition.”
A spokesperson from Veolia said: “Veolia has been in the crossfire of an inter-union dispute over recognition at our Sheffield site.
“The GMB union has held sole recognition at the site for 20 years and any changes to this agreement must be approved by the GMB – Unite is well aware of this requirement.
“We have been in constant dialogue with Unite and the GMB as well as seeking TUC intervention.
“GMB has made an offer and we urge Unite to find a way forward.
“Veolia will always respect the right of our colleagues to be a member of a trade union of their choice but we will not be bullied by Unite into breaking an existing agreement with another union.
“We want to see an end to this long running dispute, our colleagues return to work and for both unions to collaborate constructively for the benefit of all.”
