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Waste Collections Disrupted as London Faces Driver Shortage and Birmingham Strike Persists

Ealing Council expects service gaps through September; it is recruiting drivers, reviewing pay packages following summer absences

Overview

  • Ealing Council attributes delayed bin rounds to summer holiday leave and sickness among HGV drivers and warns disruption will continue until September.
  • The borough has launched active recruitment of additional drivers and initiated a pay and incentives review to bolster its workforce.
  • A Government spokesman reminded local authorities that taxpayers rely on regular waste collections and urged councils to sustain vital services.
  • In Birmingham, deadlocked negotiations between Unite and the city council have forced about £8 million in agency fees to maintain a minimal bin service.
  • Earlier this summer, Croydon contractor failures prompted re-routed collections, highlighting broader HGV driver shortages and budget constraints across English councils.