A year on, it’s time for Unite to put the people of Sheffield first

Here, Beth Whittaker, Chief HR Officer for Veolia Northern Europe, gives her opinion.

It’s now one year since Unite the Union launched strike action at Veolia’s Sheffield site. What began as a recognition bid has descended into a campaign of misinformation – directed not just at Veolia, but at our employees, investors, partners and the vital services we provide in the city.

It is time for this to end.

Veolia has been clear from the outset: the dispute in Sheffield is not between Veolia and Unite – it’s between Unite and the GMB.

The GMB has been the recognised trade union at our Sheffield Lumley Street site for over 20 years and continues to represent the majority of our workforce. Unite has always known this. They also knew that formal recognition would mean tearing up our agreement with the GMB – something that would trigger a counter-dispute and potential strikes which would lead to widespread service disruption across Sheffield.

Veolia cannot and will not jeopardise essential services in this way.

The legal position could not be clearer. In April, the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) ruled that Unite’s application for statutory recognition could not proceed because of GMB’s existing agreement. That decision is final. Despite this, Unite has continued its disruptive campaign against Veolia – one which has escalated over the past year.

Unite’s leadership has poured extraordinary resources into this dispute – flying activists across Europe and the US, protesting outside our partners’ offices, and targeting senior members of our company. We estimate the travel and strike costs have cost Unite over £500,000 of its members’ money.

These are not the actions of a union focused on delivering for workers. They are the tactics of a leadership determined to cause reputational harm to a company that has followed the law, maintained good faith with employees, and kept essential services running.

Despite Unite’s actions, Veolia’s teams in Sheffield have worked tirelessly to ensure bin collections continue without disruption to residents. This is no small task when your business is being deliberately targeted, week after week, by a campaign that is increasingly aggressive and divorced from reality.

Unite’s accusations of “union-busting” are completely unfounded. Veolia is proud of our positive relationships with five national trade unions across the UK, including Unite itself. In Sheffield, we recently agreed a multi-year pay deal, and the GMB has offered Unite a courtesy agreement, providing them a voice and a seat at the table. This is the appropriate and constructive route forward, but Unite continues to refuse it.

In response to this ongoing campaign of defamation and harassment, Veolia has had no choice but to begin legal proceedings against Unite and its General Secretary, Sharon Graham.

We do not take this action lightly, but no company should be expected to accept falsehoods, intimidation or targeted attacks on its reputation and operations.

It is time Unite accepted the CAC outcome and engaged constructively with the GMB by taking a seat at the table. That is the only way to end this dispute and allow our colleagues to return to work.

Veolia remains committed to strong industrial relations and delivering for Sheffield. We will continue to defend our colleagues, our reputation, and our right to operate without harassment or defamation.