ALMOST 100 staff working at Huddersfield’s recycling depots went on strike.
They walked out for 24 hours yesterday in a bitter dispute over alleged bullying and intimidation – and pledged to hold more strikes in May.
The action saw pickets out at depots across Kirklees but managers insisted it was business at usual for members of the public who wanted to use the sites.
The dispute is with the company Sita, who control the recycling sites and the and waste to energy plant at Emerald Street, Hillhouse.
The workers claim management have a “culture of fear” at the depots and alleged that in one incident, a worker was locked in an office by a manager.
Sita dispute the claims and say they have their procedures in place at sites all over the country and had no problems other than in Kirklees.
The depots hit by the action were at Hillhouse, Birstall, Thornhill, Meltham and Upper Cumberworth. More strikes are planned on May 4 and 9.
The workers’ union, Unite, claimed problems began three years ago when poor handling of personnel cases at the site indicated that proper procedures were being bypassed.
Union officials claimed incidents included accusations of theft by a worker, the use of CCTV to harass workers, the production of allegedly falsified documentation to build cases against workers and the threat of sacking unless a grievance by a worker was withdrawn.
