Opinion: Veolia bosses share their thoughts after drawn-out battle with Unite the Union in Sheffield
Veolia bosses have written about their concerns and plans to move forward after the government seemingly puts an end to an ongoing union dispute.
For eight months now Sheffield’s leading waste management company Veolia has been embroiled in a bitter row with Unite the union, as workers battle for union recognition.
French firm Veolia has managed waste collection services in Sheffield since 2001, yet recently came under pressure from the union Unite to be awarded official union recognition.
Unite members have been on strike since August, yet residents may not have noticed any impact to their waste collection services during the strike period, as during that time there have only been 37 Unite members on continuous strike, it is claimed.
A quarter of Veolia's workforce are Unite members, while the majority are instead members of the GMB Union, which does have recognition from Veolia
GMB has had sole recognition since 2004.
Now the government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has backed Veolia’s decision in giving sole recognition to GMB, striking a fatal blow in the union’s ongoing battle.
Donald Macphail, Chief Operating Officer, Treatment and Hazardous Waste at Veolia UK, has written about the ongoing dispute:
It’s time to Unite – not Divide: Why Unite must now face reality and end its campaign against Veolia
Since August last year, Veolia has been stuck in the middle of an inter-union dispute between two of the biggest trade unions in the country, Unite the Union and the GMB. The dispute is due to Unite’s attempts to gain recognition at our site in Sheffield, where the GMB has been recognised for more than 20 years.
Throughout the past nine months, Unite has falsely accused Veolia of ‘union-busting’. They have protested across the world, arguing they are entitled to formal recognition. However the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has now rejected Unite’s application for recognition amongst our workforce, proving that this whole dispute has been unnecessary, futile and damaging - exactly as Veolia has said all along.
The CAC decision also proves that Unite’s claims of ‘union-busting’ have been completely baseless. As a company, we are proud to have good relations with the five trade unions we work with across the UK. Indeed, we have just agreed a multi-year pay deal for all of our colleagues in Sheffield. We recognise the importance good relations have to the success of our business, which is why it is so disappointing that Unite decided to launch this attack.
The GMB has been our recognised union at Veolia Sheffield Lumley Street for the past twenty years and can count the majority of our workers as members, which is why the CAC rejected Unite’s application for recognition. Despite Unite knowing this long-standing representation was in place, they have been demanding formal recognition. However they also knew that, if Veolia granted recognition to Unite it would lead to the GMB launching a counter-dispute. Risking a walkout by the GMB would mean the majority of the refuse collectors would be on strike and the bins would not be collected in Sheffield. Of course, this is something we don’t want to happen and we have been working hard throughout the past nine months to continue essential services with minimal disruption.
As the strike has dragged on, the situation has escalated in recent months. Veolia remains the victim of an unrelenting campaign of misinformation and harassment from Unite activists. Unite’s behaviour is not just confined to Sheffield but extends to targeting senior members of our company, shareholders and partners in the UK and abroad. Unite’s ‘World Tour’ has seen activists travel to the United States, France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands - all paid for by their members. This campaign of protest, harassment and misinformation has left Veolia with no choice but to launch legal proceedings against Unite for the damage caused by nine months of defamation, explicitly aimed at undermining our reputation and harming our business.
Militant union tactics are harming British business and Labour’s growth ambitions. Unite has been misguided from the outset of this dispute, and has continually sought to mischaracterise it in order to suit their own purposes - all at Veolia’s expense. Put simply, Unite cannot be allowed to harass, lie and try to bring essential services to a stop.
Veolia has proudly served the residents of Sheffield for more than 20 years. Our hardworking teams help residents to recycle more, provide heating, hot water and energy to the local community and deliver essential waste services.
In light of the CAC’s decision, Unite now needs to accept the GMB’s offer for a seat at the table and allow our colleagues to return to work. We expect the strikes to now end. This is the solution, rather than protesting and harassing our staff.
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