AN employment relations organisation has been brought in by the council to try and resolve the current strike action by bin men in the former Allerdale area - as they announce the recruitment of staff on short-term contracts to cover busy strike periods.

A meeting with trade unions, facilitated by ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) has been set up by Allerdale Waste Services (AWS) and Cumberland Council in a further attempt to resolve the current ongoing strike action.

The meeting, held on Thursday, August 3, will set the terms for follow-up negotiations to be discussed by all parties.

Both the council and AWS have said they have been 'working strenuously' to deliver a residual waste service during the strike in addition to negotiating with trade unions to end the industrial action.

In the meantime, to cover the busier summer period and provide a continuity of service amid a ban on agency workers, AWS is set to recruit temporary drivers and loaders on short-term contracts.

These workers will be directly employed by AWS and will follow their terms and conditions.

AWS spokesperson said: “The recruitment is in no way pre-empting the outcome of negotiation and discussion with the trade unions regarding the industrial action.

"It is to ensure that the current refuse collection service is maintained.

“Should the industrial action be resolved, and employees return to work, we will still require the additional resource. Like Cumberland Council, we are keen to maintain the dialogue with the trade unions and welcome the involvement of ACAS.

“Since the industrial action started, we have collected a high percentage of all domestic waste on the designated weekly day.

"Where we have missed a collection, we have either returned the next day or later in the week or collected with excess waste the following week.

“We continue to appreciate the patience that residents have shown during this challenging period.”

The current industrial action is the context of trade unions demanding parity between AWS pay and the pay of former Copeland Waste Services staff who are now part of Cumberland Council.

AWS employees were awarded a 10.1 per cent pay rise on April 1 this year which is based on the Foundation Living Wage (a higher rate than the National Living Wage).

This increase was regarded by AWS as both fair and responsible and saw salaries being comparable or higher than other waste services in the Cumberland area.

AWS has previously offered unions further improvements to terms and conditions in paying double time for bank holidays, the provision of days in lieu of bank holidays worked plus four additional days leave.

The union’s original demands were that they wanted to see the same hourly rate paid as the former Copeland Waste Services staff receive, but without any reduction in hours worked.

The council say this would not provide parity across the waste service which the unions are calling for.

It would represent an uplift of 32 per cent for drivers and 19 per cent for loaders, they added.