Head of Leeds' Council has doorstep 'trashed' in solidarity with bin strikers
Mary Read | 16.09.2009 14:37
Supporters of the Leeds refuse collection strike, dumped several bags of rubbish on the doorstep of council leader Richard Brett this morning
Supporters of the Leeds refuse collection strike, dumped several bags of rubbish on the doorstep of council leader Richard Brett this morning
Sick of rubbish piling up in our backyards and unwilling to put bins out for scab labour employed by Leeds City Council to break the strike, we have taken our rubbish to the source of the problem – the leader of the council, Councillor Brett at his home on Scott Hall Road.
A group of Leeds residents gathered together this morning with some of the bags of rubbish that had been building up in their yards and gardens and the streets outside their homes, and then disposed of them directly on Councillor Brett’s doorstep.
Mary Read, one of those taking action, said; “Refuse collectors are being told to lose £3 an hour off an already low wage. £3 an hour won’t seem much to Councillor Brett who took £48,000 just in expenses last year, but it is to those struggling to live already during these times of crisis. We refuse to accept this, it’s rubbish!”
Refuse collectors in Leeds have been on strike since the 7th of September after being told they face a cut of a third of their wages.
Sick of rubbish piling up in our backyards and unwilling to put bins out for scab labour employed by Leeds City Council to break the strike, we have taken our rubbish to the source of the problem – the leader of the council, Councillor Brett at his home on Scott Hall Road.
A group of Leeds residents gathered together this morning with some of the bags of rubbish that had been building up in their yards and gardens and the streets outside their homes, and then disposed of them directly on Councillor Brett’s doorstep.
Mary Read, one of those taking action, said; “Refuse collectors are being told to lose £3 an hour off an already low wage. £3 an hour won’t seem much to Councillor Brett who took £48,000 just in expenses last year, but it is to those struggling to live already during these times of crisis. We refuse to accept this, it’s rubbish!”
Refuse collectors in Leeds have been on strike since the 7th of September after being told they face a cut of a third of their wages.
Mary Read
Comments
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Nice one...
16.09.2009 15:37
Oh Somewhat Bin Laden.
Ha Ha
16.09.2009 17:17
Steve la fevre
Just how much is "an already low wage"
16.09.2009 21:54
interested
6 arrests
17.09.2009 09:36
boris
Arrests
17.09.2009 10:27
Not sure why the unions are distancing themselves from this, most people have found this hilarious, and it's a fairly minor 'crime' compared to cutting people's wages by a third!
Bin Laden
rubbish arrests
17.09.2009 18:28
All very random, with a house being singled out (not entirely apparent why) and everyone in it being arrested for simply being there, including some guests just passing through. Seems there was a copper in the house investigating the "threatening" phonecall at the time of the action, so with red faces all round Mr Brett demanded some action, and the police picked on a load of people with nothing to do with it to show the council and media that they were doing something. Ho hum.
@
Refuse collectors earn £11,000 and £17,000 on average
18.09.2009 21:51
http://www.lgcareers.com/career-descriptions/protecting-your-community/refuse-collectordriversupervisor/
Estimated salary range
Salaries for full-time refuse loaders are likely to be between £11,000 and £17,000; for refuse drivers £15,000 to £20,000 and for supervisors £17,000 to £25,000.
Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.
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That compares to a median average salary of £25,123 for full-time workers:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8151355.stm
So I would say that constitutes a "low wage". Especially since it is quite a physically demanding job that involves handling other people's stinking rubbish.
anon