A binman has spoken of a culture of “fear and bullying” and claims management wants to force older workers out.
Kirklees Council’s Huddersfield-based bin crews have been locked in a dispute with management.
The row was sparked in November when crews were accused of a “wildcat” strike when they walked off shift.
But now one of the workers has lifted the lid on feelings among staff.
The man, who asked not to be named, said crews were being targeted unfairly.
He said new rules were being introduced and custom and practice changed.
He also claimed allegations were being made that were later found to be unsubstantiated.
In one claim the worker said crews were accused of parking a bin lorry across the gate at the Vine Street depot, deliberately obstructing operations.
He said management insisted what happened had been captured on CCTV.
But when workers were called to answer the allegations at a hearing and the video played there was nothing on the footage.
The source said: “This never simply never happened.”
The man also told how an older worker was called in after his work had been covered by a younger man while he was on holiday.
The round was done quicker by the younger worker and the source said: “We have an ageing workforce and we are all human beings. We can’t be calibrated like machines. Of course young people are going to get round quicker.”
Previous practice had been to allow workers to jump off lorries on their way back to the depot if they were passing near to home or a bus stop.
The worker said the so-called “wildcat strike” only lasted an hour and was the crew wanting to speak to union representatives.
Following that management “flooded” the shifts with agency workers, as a warning that they could be replaced.
The worker added: “There’s a culture of blame and the service is being run on fear and intimidation. It’s an ageing workforce and they think they can bully us.
“We get a lot of bad press as if we are a militant union but honest, hard-working men are getting blamed for trying to do their job properly.”
Bin crews are not back at work until the New Year and a ballot for industrial action has not been ruled out.
A council spokesman said: “We take allegations of bullying in the workplace extremely seriously and there are recognised procedures we follow to ensure that these are dealt with in a fair way.
“The council launched an investigation into an incident at Vine Street that took place in November which resulted in number of missed collections.
“This investigation is ongoing, and again is being carried out in line with an agreed process. As part of this investigation we are in regular contact with unions involved.”
