Bins will not be collected in Welwyn Hatfield after a staff walkout.
Workers at Urbaser - the council's waste contractor - in Welwyn Garden City left their workplace in protest today (Tuesday, May 10).
Speaking to the Welwyn Hatfield Times on a condition of anonymity, a member of Urbaser staff said the walkout was impromptu and linked with serious concerns around working conditions at the Hertfordshire depot.
They said there is no plan to stage a walkout tomorrow, when missed bin collections are due to take place.
Urbaser collects domestic and business waste on behalf of Welwyn Hatfield Council.
A council statement reads: "Due to staffing issues, there will be no bin collections today.
"Please leave your bins out for collection tomorrow.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your understanding."
More information about missed bin collections is on the Welwyn Hatfield website, but the council said there is no need to file reports for missed Tuesday rounds: https://www.welhat.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling/missed-bins/1
Jose Ramon Sanchez Espejo, Urbaser's UK operations director, said: "We can confirm that no bin collections took place in Welwyn Hatfield on May 10 due to staff unavailability.
"As a result, all bin collections this week are likely to be delayed.
"For the remainder of this week, we ask residents to leave their bins out for collection on the usual day and we will try and collect them within 24 hours.
"If needed, we will complete collections on Saturday and we apologise for any inconvenience.
"We are currently investigating the circumstances leading to the staff shortage and speaking with those concerned.
"All rounds went out on May 11, and the crews are working hard to bring the service back to normal as quickly as they can."
A Welwyn Hatfield council spokesperson said: "Following the disruption to bin collections on May 10, bin crews will be catching up for the rest of this week.
"Thank you for your patience and understanding."
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