Two of three unions for Wiltshire waste workers have accepted a revised pay offer, as GMB continues to strike.

Hills Municipal Collections has now confirmed that employees who are members of UNITE have been balloted and have agreed to accept the company’s reviewed pay offer.

This means that two of the three unions in the Tri-Union recognition agreement have accepted the 7.1% pay rise offered and will not be taking part in the current strike action with GMB union members.

A spokesperson for Hills said: “We are really pleased that UNITE members were able to come to this decision as to the offer we put forward provides a fair settlement in relation to inflation and indexation, which we know is impacting the cost of living.

"The offer is in line or ahead of comparable local pay awards and it provides positive certainty in a time of increasing volatility.” Employees who have accepted the offer will receive a pay increase of at least 2% backdated to October 2021, with an additional 5% pay rise from 1 March 2022."

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The annual pay review date has also been brought forward from October 2022 to May 2022, with the next annual pay review due to take place in May 2023.

The offer was also accepted by UNISON membership last week but has been rejected by the GMB union whose members are on strike for two weeks.

Workers have been trying to spread the message that while their protest has come about as a result of the rising cost of living, is ‘not just about money, but equality.’

Gary Palmer, the regional organiser for the GMB union believes that the offer from Hills is unacceptable, meaning that bin strikes are set to continue over the coming days.

He said: “We asked for seven per cent in one year. The seven per cent they are describing is still a two-year pay deal. The two per cent for 2021 is backdated to October, and the second one was offered on March 1, at five per cent. But that's 2022. 

"What they're saying is if we give you this amount now, that's it until 2023."

He added that the wages that are currently on offer cannot keep up with the rising cost of living. 

Mr Palmer stated: "They are absolute experts at smoke and mirrors, but our members can see very clearly through that fog.

"They're getting millions back on their investments, why not share some of it with their workers?"