Dagenham And Rainham MP Joins Havering Bin Workers Outside Town Hall.

30th October 202630th October 2026 Francesca Lilleystone 0 Comments Havering, Strike, Trade Union, Unite min read

Havering’s striking bin workers were joined by Dagenham and Rainham MP Margaret Mullane and trade union representatives outside Romford Town Hall this morning, as a week-long strike over pay and working conditions continued. Unite says workers employed by FCC Waste Management are being paid less than those carrying out comparable roles in neighbouring Redbridge, with the union calling for urgent negotiations to resolve the dispute.

The workers, who are employed by FCC Waste Management under its waste services contract with Havering Council, began industrial action on Monday 26 October. The planned week-long strike is due to end on Friday 30 October.

The dispute centres on pay, workloads and a range of concerns about working conditions that Unite says have remained unresolved since FCC took over the contract in 2023.

Pay gap between Havering and Redbridge

According to figures supplied by Unite, a newly appointed bin loader in Havering earns £12.88 an hour, compared with £15.72 for a comparable role in neighbouring Redbridge.

The union says new drivers in Havering are paid £17.24 an hour, compared with £19.89 in Redbridge.

Unite also says Havering loaders’ pay is significantly below the new London Living Wage rate of £15.45 an hour quoted by the union.

The union argues that these differences are particularly concerning given the cost of living in London, and says workers are struggling to afford essential items.

Alongside pay, Unite says its members have raised concerns with management about excessive workloads, fatigue, working in hot weather, vehicle safety and welfare facilities.

Union calls for urgent action

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“These are key workers who deserve to be paid fairly. It is nonsensical that they earn so little in comparison to their counterparts in the next borough and FCC and Havering Council have serious questions to answer over this.

“FCC must also listen to its workers’ concerns over conditions. Unite will not allow our members to be left struggling to afford essentials and working under poor conditions and will continue to back these workers every step of the way.”

Disruption to Havering’s waste services

The industrial action has caused disruption to waste collection services across Havering.

Unite claims FCC has brought in workers from other council areas, including East Lothian in Scotland, to help maintain services during the strike. The union says the company has paid travel, accommodation and other expenses for those workers.

Unite regional officer Danny Hoggan said:

“It is unacceptable that our members at FCC have been left struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile instead of paying them fairly and coming to the table to resolve issues FCC would rather pay money to strike break than treat Havering workers with dignity and respect.

“Unite are more than willing to meet with FCC to negotiate an end to this dispute, but that relies on FCC changing tack and committing to immediate meaningful changes to these workers’ pay and conditions.”

Margaret Mullane’s presence alongside the workers outside the Town Hall brought further attention to the dispute as the strike entered its final day.

The key question now is whether FCC and Unite can reach an agreement on pay and working conditions, and what steps will be taken to resolve the dispute and minimise further disruption to Havering residents.