Garbage chaos looms as London's largest waste transfer stations set for strike

Sites in Wandsworth and Battersea used by all major waste carriers in South London, plus the general public, heading for a standstill

GMB union members based at the largest waste transfer stations in London are set to take strike action over pay. 

Waste transfer stations collect commercial and household rubbish before it's sent to landfill or recycled. 

The members, employed by Cory Environmental Ltd have rejected the company’s full and final pay offer as it falls well short of inflation and is therefore a de facto pay cut. 

All of the major waste carriers in South London use the sites at Smugglers Way in Wandsworth and Cringle Dock in Battersea, including Veolia, Biffa, Amey, Serco and Continental Landscapes, as well as the general public. 

The union are warning residents of all South London boroughs to expect a knock-on effect on their waste collection services, since no local waste sites have the capacity to store the large volumes of rubbish that would build up in the event that the Cory sites close. 

Paul Grafton, GMB Regional Organiser, said: 

“It is a shame that it has come down to industrial action, but Cory have refused to budge. 

“GMB has pushed Cory continually for intervention by ACAS.  Eventually Cory caved in and agreed to meet with them, but we don’t hold out much hope of a resolution. 

“GMB has announced four days of strikes initially, followed by more frequent dates of action. 

“There is a very simple way for all this inconvenience on the general public to be avoided – Cory needs to offer their workers a pay deal that won’t result in them being worse off at the end of each month.”