After a month of bin strikes a Kent council has agreed to meet workers’ pay demands – but only if staff agree they can no longer knock off early.

Binmen employed by Canenco - Canterbury City Council’s (CCC) environment company - walked out on July 5, demanding drivers be paid £15 an hour and loaders £12 an hour.

Today the council, which previously stated there would be no more pay increases offered, announced it would meet those terms but with conditions.

Previously bin crews were permitted to go home as soon as their round was complete in an arrangement designed to reward efficiency known as “job and knock”.

However, if the GMB members accept the council's offer they will be required to work their contracted hours.

The pay increase, set to cost an extra £300,000 to be found from efficiency savings at Canenco, is also not being offered until January 2024 but will be applied to staff both in the GMB and Unison, and those not in unions.

GMB members are currently considering the offer and there will be an official ballot on Monday morning.

It is understood the union intends to go ahead with a march planned for tomorrow in the city.

Canterbury City Council leader Cllr Alan Baldock said: “Canenco has done a great job in demonstrating that a deal can be reached without any impact on council services or waste collections.

“We have to say this very clearly to the GMB ‘this is it – there is no other offer on the table’.

“Accept both the money and the new approach to working and let’s get this resolved.

“We would also stress that throughout this strike, the GMB has been very keen to compare what happens at other councils.

“From our research, this deal does reflect those working practices in neighbouring districts and the January start time for the uplift is again in line with other districts.

“And for residents, there will be no change in the service they receive, other than their collection may be at a slightly different time in the day.”

The council has been clear that the money for the pay uplift will come from cost-cutting measures made to Canenco’s existing budget.

To do this they say efficiency will be improved as staff are expected to work their full contracted hours.

Additionally, round sizes will be increased but the council assures that the workload will be fairly allocated.

As a result fewer crews and vehicles will be required to run the service.

No redundancies are planned and the council has said the reduced staff count will come from less frequent use of agency workers and choosing not to replace staff who leave in the coming months.

Over the past week recycling bins have not been emptied throughout the city, Whitstable and Herne Bay, with the materials being allowed in black bins.

Previously members of one union, Unison, accepted a pay rise of 8.9% for loaders and 7.3% for drivers, but the GMB union refused the proposal, arguing they want to be paid the same as what refuse workers already make in Dover, Folkestone, Ashford and Swale.

Canenco director, David Maidman, said: “The creation of Canenco in 2021 transformed the waste collection service, resulting in a huge reduction in missed bins when compared with the failing private contractor, Serco.

“It was followed not long after by a decision to end the council’s grounds maintenance and associated works contract with Serco early and also bring that work under Canenco.

“That decision and other issues such as Covid and driver shortages meant the work to carry out the comprehensive review of the Serco waste operation had to be held back for a while.

“However, over the last 12 months there has been very close analysis of how it operates.

“And while Canenco had planned to bring in the changes gradually over time, taking into account the delayed national changes to waste collections, the ongoing industrial action by GMB members means they are being fast tracked in order to bring matters to a close.”