Bin strike cancelled

Both parties said today they were pleased that a resolution has been reached and residents’ bin collections will not be affected.

Councillor Kevin Anderson, cabinet member for environment at Wigan Council, said: “We know residents will be pleased to hear the news that their bin collection service will not be disrupted. We have worked extremely hard to negotiate a solution that safeguards the service for residents, delivers the savings we need, and responds to the issues raised by our staff.

“The council have made significant concessions, and are grateful for the positive and constructive manner in which the negotiations were held.

“We have now agreed working patterns for the staff, crucially ensuring that we can guarantee that we can deliver a good quality Christmas collection.

“We are confident that we will be able to deliver an effective and efficient waste service as we implement the new three weekly collections.”

​Kevin Lucas, UNISON North West Regional Manager, said: “This is a good result for everyone. It shows what is possible when unions and employers engage constructively.”