Christmas bin collections face crisis as drivers quit their jobs for better pay

Many bin lorry drivers are taking up more lucrative offers in the food industry (Picture: Getty Images)

British households have been warned of a shortage of bin collections at Christmas time as more and more drivers quit their jobs for more lucrative options.

Many are taking up significantly better paid offers to work as hauliers for the food industry or supermarkets, with offers as much as £40,000 a year.

In comparison bin lorry drivers earn about £25,000 a year, so many have been tempted to leave.

A number of councils in London, Devon, Cambridgeshire and Surrey have already had to suspend or delay some collections and the problem could get worse.

Britain is already facing an HGV driver shortage, and with waste volumes typically rising by 30% in the festive season, something desperately needs to be done to plug the gap.

Environmental Services Association executive director Jacob Hayler said there is currently a 15% vacancy rate for drivers working for waste contractors.

But some places have an even bigger challenge on their hands, with Devon facing a shortfall of around 20%.

British households have been warned of chaos at Christmas, when around 30% more waste is produced (Picture: Getty Images)

Last week Ribble Valley council in Lancashire said six of its 13 drivers had quit and that it was struggling to replace them, the Guardian reports.

Croydon council in south London has warned locals of ‘severe’ impact on collections services because, telling their binmen ‘will get to you as soon as possible’.

Two of the largest council waste services contractors, Amey and Veolia, are now offering bonuses of up to £1,500 to recruit bin collection drivers.

Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin said: ‘The shortage of heavy goods drivers is having a profound impact. If you’re a driver you can go to the highest bidder and that is often the supermarket hauliers. It’s driving up costs for everyone.’

A Government spokesperson said capacity has been increased for HGV driving tests.

They added: ‘We are moving to a high-wage, high-skilled economy and the government is encouraging all sectors to adapt and make employment more attractive to UK domestic workers through offering training, careers options and wage increases.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

from News – Metro https://ift.tt/3nfLHYE