1 December 2025
Bin wagon leaving Veolia facility in Sheffield. Photo Workers.
Strike action by around 35 Sheffield refuse workers employed by Veolia – members of Unite the Union – has continued for over a year. This has to be one of the most pointless and divisive disputes ever.
The dispute that has surprisingly attracted support from Sheffield Trades Union Council and a number of other trades councils across Yorkshire, along with PCS and UCU unions.
Recognition
GMB has sole recognition for those employed on the Veolia contract which provides refuse collection and disposal services on behalf of Sheffield City Council. This recognition agreement is many years old. Around 85 per cent of the 220 workers on the contract are GMB members.
Unite is a recognised union in other parts of Veolia, usually jointly with GMB. On that basis, Unite is seeking recognition for its 35 members on the Sheffield Council contract. Veolia refuses to recognise Unite for that contract, not least because GMB speaks for the overwhelming majority of its workers.
Resources
Unite has expended much time, effort and resources on this dispute, including demonstrations outside Veolia’s head office in Paris. A far more productive and constructive use of those resources would be trying to deal with the many unorganised workplaces and workers not in trade unions.
It’s puzzling to trade unionists outside this dispute why one union seeks to undermine the sole recognition arrangements of another union. Or at least it ought to be.
Precedent
And surely it is unacceptable for trades councils to side with one side of an inter-union dispute. And the other unions directly backing Unite should reflect on the precedent created should the dispute be successful. No union would want a small number of disaffected members to be encouraged to go and join another union and then undermine its sole recognition arrangements?
If union members have a problem with their union, they should take responsibility, stay in and organise to deal with the problem. To walk away and join another union is cowardice, divisive, and benefits no-one but the employer.