Bin strikes: Recycling centres to be closed in East Lothian

Unison has confirmed that its members working in East Lothian Council’s waste and street cleansing teams plan to strike from Wednesday (August 14) to August 21 as part of a national dispute over pay.

The industrial action means fly-tipping collections, bulky uplift collections and trade waste collections will not take place.

At the same time, green bin waste and garden waste (brown bin) collections will not take place and recycling centres at North Berwick, Dunbar and Kinwegar will not be open.

READ MORE: 'Third-world country' concerns over three-week wait for bin uplifts

Cleansing, including litter bins and street sweeping, will also not take place.

Weekly kerbside recycling services, including food waste recycling, are provided by an external contractor and will still be collected, so residents should continue to present these containers for collection.

Tom Reid, East Lothian Council’s head of infrastructure, said: “The planned strike is part of a national dispute over pay, and discussions between COSLA, unions and Scottish Government are ongoing.

“While a number of waste and amenity services will be impacted, the weekly recycling services can continue as these are provided by an external contractor.

“We appreciate that this will be inconvenient for residents and businesses, and remain hopeful that a national agreement will be reached before the strike is due to begin.

“In the meantime, we are grateful for the support of our communities as we deal with these challenges, which are outwith our control.”

READ MORE: Revealed: How bin strikes will affect East Lothian residents

A spokesperson for the local authority confirmed that further information would be provided “as soon as possible” regarding arrangements for people whose collections are impacted should industrial action go ahead.

Normal services will resume on August 22 and updates will be published on the council’s website, www.eastlothian.gov.uk/bin-strike