Bin strikes to 'remain ongoing' in Sheffield
37 members of staff first walked out of Veolia's Lumley Street depot last August
Last updated 19th Sep 2025
Unions representing striking bin collectors in South Yorkshire aren't ruling out a situation 'similar to the one in Birmingham' - unless terms improve.
It's as the dispute over workers' rights; pay & conditions continues in Sheffield - & has affected some recycling collections in the city.
Around 37 members of staff have been on strike at the Lumley Street Depot since last August.
It's around issues such as equal contracts for people doing similar jobs & improvements to sick pay.
Onay Kasab is from Unite the Union - He's urging Veolia - who're responsible for waste management in Sheffield - to come back to the negotiating table:
“Unite’s preference is always to negotiate. But if Veolia continues to refuse to negotiate, we will not sit back. We will continue to take the action that is necessary.
"The main impact has been around recycling - but if it isn't resolved - then our escalation will lead to an impact on domestic waste collection.
"We haven't got a Birmingham style situation just yet though - there's still time to get this sorted."
Beth Whittaker, Chief HR Officer for Veolia Northern Europe, said:
This is an inter-union dispute. The GMB are the majority union in Sheffield and have a long-standing recognition agreement at the site.
Earlier this year, we agreed a multi-year pay deal for all our colleagues in Sheffield. Instead of continuing this strike action, Unite should be approaching the existing trade union to find a solution.
All our colleagues have the right to be a member of a trade union of their choice, and we respect the agreements we have with five trade union partners nationally. Veolia will continue to defend the Group, its partners and investors against Unite's campaign of defamation."
Sheffield City Council tell us they'll continue to encourage both sides to come together & resolve the dispute.