MARK Jenkinson MP has expressed hope that an end to Labour’s bin chaos may be in sight, after Cumberland Council had to be dragged to the negotiating table with the involvement of ACAS.
The MP for the Workington constituency has repeatedly urged the Labour-led council to see sense and pay refuse workers in the former Allerdale the same as their colleagues elsewhere in Cumberland.
The taxpayers of Allerdale have experienced nearly five months of disrupted services under Cumberland, with no plastic, paper or garden waste collected throughout that time, and thousands of domestic waste collections missed every week.
Mark Jenkinson MP said: "I have campaigned tirelessly to end this bin chaos for my constituents, and I have been helping them wherever I can.
"I hope that the Labour Executive will see sense soon rather than dragging out this entirely avoidable disruption any longer.
"They’ll be forced to pay the lads the same as those up the road, as they should have done on April 1st.
"That’s all they asked, clear that other terms and conditions could come later.
"But instead, Labour councillors chose to harmonise wages for the top tier, not the ones at the frontline.
"My constituents have faced 19 weeks of disrupted bin collections, huge and potentially dangerous queues at tips, an increase in fly-tipping and an increase in rats.
"There are many thousands of bins being missed every day because of Labour’s ineptitude.
"Councillor Fryer's Executive could have stopped all this before it began, and at any point thereafter.
"But instead leading Labour councillors chose to prolong the pain for my constituents, whilst their colleagues not on the executive said and did nothing.
"All we have heard from these Labour councillors whose job it is to represent residents is deafening silence. Not one of them had the courage to stand up to the Executive. Even Labour’s parliamentary candidate had nothing to say on the most pressing issue facing the people he hopes to represent."
