Hundreds of refuse workers at Leeds City Council have walked out over pay, leaving the authority struggling to keep the streets clean. The council's streetscene staff, comprising around 500 refuse collectors and street cleaners, have taken indefinite industrial action after talks broke down on Friday. Cllr James Monaghan, executive board member for environmental services, said: ‘Despite our best efforts to resolve this dispute through negotiations, the unions seem intent on simply causing disruption to important services by calling for this strike action. The council is working hard to draw up contingency plans, and will do all it can to keep disruption to a minimum.' Both Unison and GMB members are striking over changes to pay and grading at the council – which would see their salaries cut by up to one-third, according to the unions. The council claimed it had done everything in its power to avoid industrial action, but said it could not afford to ‘level-up' salaries, as it would cost the authority an extra £45m a year. Leeds Unison branch secretary, Brian Mulvey, said: ‘Our members can't afford not to strike. Almost a third of their pay is being cut.' And GMB organiser, Bill Chard said: ‘The council leaders have missed a golden opportunity to save the citizens from untold misery and disruption. They have had more than 18 months to sort this out, and even though we have made ourselves available right up to the very last minute, they have failed to seize the moment. ‘Just a few weeks ago, Richard Brett, leader of Leeds City Council and his fellow councillors from the ruling coalition voted themselves a tidy increase to their expenses, but these same people feel no guilt in robbing our members of up to £6,000 a year.' No new talks have yet been scheduled between the unions and the council.
