Outsourced refuse and ground maintenance workers for Waltham Forest will go on strike this month and in January following a row over pay, reports Marco Marcelline

Refuse, street scene, and grounds maintenance workers in Waltham Forest have announced strike dates over the festive period, following a row over pay.

The outsourced workers are employed by FCC Environment, on behalf of Waltham Forest Council. A recent ballot saw 97% of participating GMB members vote for strike action.

The strike dates are as follows: Wednesday 10th to Friday 12th December, Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th December, Monday 22nd to Tuesday 23rd December, 2nd January 2026, and Monday 5th to Friday 9th January 2026.

The action will affect all refuse collection and street cleaning in the borough, including bin collection, litter picking, grounds maintenance, and road sweeping.

GMB Union says its Waltham Forest members employed by FCC Environment voted overwhelmingly against both a 2.8% and 3.2% pay rise this summer.

The Spanish company FCC Environment took over waste collections in Waltham Forest in 2024, when it purchased previous contractor Urbaser UK.

Along with his colleagues, union member Lewis Mather rejected both pay offers from FCC Environment because it excludes London Living Wage (LLW) employees such as himself.

Speaking in the summer, Lewis said he wants the company to agree to lift LLW employees salaries from £13.85 an hour to £15.50 an hour, which would represent a pay rise of 11.9%.

Mary Goodson, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “Our members still have not been offered a decent pay uplift, leaving them no choice but to take strike action.

“We are willing to get back round the table if FCC come back to us with fair offer.”

FCC Environment was contacted for comment.

Clyde Loakes, the deputy leader of Waltham Forest Council, said previously: “We are disappointed by the lack of a resolution to this long-running pay negotiation, despite changes made to the previous offer made by FCC. We urge both parties to continue with the dialogue that has seen improvements made to the offer so far.

“The council has not been involved in any of the pay discussions between FCC Environment and its staff, as that is not within our jurisdiction. But what we do want to see is both sides come to a swift resolution so that any back pay now building up can be included in pay packets in time for Christmas.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.