26 August 2013

Garbo strike still simmering. Free tip runs for those who can do it

| johnboy
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TAMS are warning that the bins need to stay on the road following Friday’s industrial dispute driven non-collection:

Household recycling and garbage collections have resumed today however only a small number of contractors have returned to work. This means only a limited number of suburbs will have their bins collected today.

Garbage will be collected today from O’Connor and parts of Dickson, Ainslie, Kingston and Griffith. Recycling will be collected from Narrabundah. Collection of household waste and recycling for the other suburbs due to be collected yesterday is not expected to be collected until the next scheduled collection date. The normal waste and recycling collections for all other suburbs are expected to resume on Monday.

A decision has been made to focus on maintaining normal household collections from Monday to prevent further disruption across Canberra.

To help offset the inconvenience to people who did not have their bins collected, the ACT Government is allowing people to dispose of the contents of their garbage bins free of charge at Mitchell and Mugga Resource Management Centres. One free delivery will be available per vehicle. Normal charges apply for all other waste including additional household waste.

This arrangement will be in place until Friday 30 August 2013 unless extended.

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justin heywood said :

kea said :

If more people adopted a Zero Waste Lifestyle, we wouldn’t be in this, umm, mess..

http://www.zerowastehome.com/

I’m afraid whoever writes ‘zerowaste’ considerably lowered their credibility with the line;

‘In the midst of that, I made my annual trip to Europe.’

A line from her book:
“Zero Waste lifestyle is full of positivity: the money savings, the time gains, the health benefits, the multipurpose lip balm. The environmental awareness you gain, however, brings one great disappointment if you are a traveling enthusiast: the carbon footprint associated with flying. Air travel is here to stay, and in our ever more globalized society, many relationships depend on it. But while we w we wait for genius scientists to discover clean alternatives, its carbon footprint is a huge issue. To fly or not to fly … is up to the individual.

On my end, I have come to accept the consequences of marrying and emigrating out of my country. When we chose the United States as our residence, we committed to a life of international phone calls to stay in touch with my family, and flights to visit my native land. Verbal communication alone would neither allow our kids to immerse in the French language nor give them the benefit of my mother’s hugs and kisses. I know that I can adopt the Zero Waste lifestyle for as long as I live, but I also know that I must see my family. Flights are an unavoidable part of my bicultural life.”

It seems to me as though she has earned the right to fly on the odd occasion if she can get her entire waste for the year down to this:

kea said :

If more people adopted a Zero Waste Lifestyle, we wouldn’t be in this, umm, mess..

http://www.zerowastehome.com/

Well, currently we have ZeroWaste Removal 2013……….

justin heywood11:43 am 29 Aug 13

kea said :

If more people adopted a Zero Waste Lifestyle, we wouldn’t be in this, umm, mess..

http://www.zerowastehome.com/

I’m afraid whoever writes ‘zerowaste’ considerably lowered their credibility with the line;

‘In the midst of that, I made my annual trip to Europe.’

If more people adopted a Zero Waste Lifestyle, we wouldn’t be in this, umm, mess..

http://www.zerowastehome.com/

Mike Bessenger said :

If the government made the tip free to everyone and everything I’d take my own rubbish to the tip fortnightly, then they could just sack the garbage collectors and give them something to really whinge about.

I’m sure you wouldn’t mind lining up for several hours when the odd 200,000 citizens do their weekly rubbish run outside of standard work hours.

I am very happy to pay for someone to collect my rubbish, thank you very much. And missing one collection really isn’t a big deal, is it? I occasionally miss the truck when I forgot to put the bin out the night before. It’s pretty putrid in summer, but very much a first world problem.

I never really know when industrial action is justified. Pay rates are a bit of a mystery to me and I am very glad that I don’t have to decide on what’s fair and what isn’t. If they do get paid well, I’m glad. It’s a crap job and I really do appreciate them. (Though I stay as far away from them with my car as I can because most drive like total lunatics.)

Mike Bessenger11:23 am 27 Aug 13

If the government made the tip free to everyone and everything I’d take my own rubbish to the tip fortnightly, then they could just sack the garbage collectors and give them something to really whinge about.

JC said :

Masquara said :

The government is not going to catch up on the missed collection apparently (inner north was ignored today) – but people who work fulltime will not be able to drop the missed rubbish off at the dump on the weekend. My bill is full – I can’t get to the dump by Friday, and much of my garbage (wrapped in newspaper) isn’t in any condition to put in the back of my car. Shane Rattenbury, what do you plan to do about the missed collection?

What exactly do you want them to do? The collection is outsourced and takes a day to do, so it’s not like they can catch up. The best the ACT taxpayer could hope for is a penalty in their contract. Of course this doesn’t help you specifically but as mentioned I just cannot see what you want them to do. Even if it wasn’t outsourced the core issue would be the same.

If the contract had been properly negotiated it should have a penalty for non timely collection and, if the company can’t then organise a timely collection, an additional penalty for the Government having to call on another company or Government to collect the rubbish.

Still haven’t seen an answer to the question of whether neighbours can pull together and take a trailer load of rubbish (instead of just a car load) to the tip for free.

Mike Crowther8:07 am 27 Aug 13

What exactly do you want them to do? you ask JC? Here’s a rad idea: Allow those of us who work for a living to dump it free on the weekend. My elderly neighbor doesn’t drive so I could also dump her’s for her as well. Allow free dumping (limit it to affected residents for two days only if they’re that hard up for revenue). Ill fix the problem, just don’t use the governments inability to contract out services as an excuse to gouge me again for a service I have already paid for..

Masquara said :

The government is not going to catch up on the missed collection apparently (inner north was ignored today) – but people who work fulltime will not be able to drop the missed rubbish off at the dump on the weekend. My bill is full – I can’t get to the dump by Friday, and much of my garbage (wrapped in newspaper) isn’t in any condition to put in the back of my car. Shane Rattenbury, what do you plan to do about the missed collection?

What exactly do you want them to do? The collection is outsourced and takes a day to do, so it’s not like they can catch up. The best the ACT taxpayer could hope for is a penalty in their contract. Of course this doesn’t help you specifically but as mentioned I just cannot see what you want them to do. Even if it wasn’t outsourced the core issue would be the same.

Just hook your wheelie bin up to your towball and head out slowly. I “hear” the wheels fall off at 80kmph.

The government is not going to catch up on the missed collection apparently (inner north was ignored today) – but people who work fulltime will not be able to drop the missed rubbish off at the dump on the weekend. My bill is full – I can’t get to the dump by Friday, and much of my garbage (wrapped in newspaper) isn’t in any condition to put in the back of my car. Shane Rattenbury, what do you plan to do about the missed collection?

Darkfalz said :

Ours still sitting on the curb a week before a house inspection. Great… Now, not to denigrate these guys but they get paid pretty well for garbage men, somewhere around 70-80k I think. What are they striking over?

In simple terms the company they work for (Cleanaway) has lost the contract to Sita. The new company is transfering mosty/all the workers over, but not necessarily on the same pay/terms and conditions. The TWU says they will be $200 p/w worse off. Hence the industrial action.

AsparagusSyndrome9:39 pm 25 Aug 13

Primal said :

Innovation said :

So does this release mean that anyone can rock up to the tip with a trailer load of rubbish (of any type) and dump for free?

You can bet your life that they will have been looking for ‘bin-sized’ loads and evidence of the contents being ordinary household rubbish (i.e. at least a couple of garbage bags being involved).

Ah, yes, that’s a better idea. I had a single large object to dispose of, wrapped in a roll of carpet. But you’re right. I might be able to cut it in half and stuff it into two garbage bags. Why didn’t I think of that earlier…?

No there are definitely way too many verbs in my area. So much happening and no idea who’s doing it or what they’re doing it to!

Freewheeling said :

Inner south still has verbs everywhere, looks terrible I guess that’s why we pay. $3000 per year in rates

I must be missing something here…Verbs are not bad. Nouns can be a pain (blocky and always already finished), but doing is good.

Unfortunately there’s also a grossly underreported servants’ strike in the inner South. My entire street’s bins are all still out front of their houses!!

Freewheeling6:37 pm 25 Aug 13

Inner south still has verbs everywhere, looks terrible I guess that’s why we pay. $3000 per year in rates

Innovation said :

So does this release mean that anyone can rock up to the tip with a trailer load of rubbish (of any type) and dump for free?

You can bet your life that they will have been looking for ‘bin-sized’ loads and evidence of the contents being ordinary household rubbish (i.e. at least a couple of garbage bags being involved).

So does this release mean that anyone can rock up to the tip with a trailer load of rubbish (of any type) and dump for free? If so, a well intentioned soul could offer to do a trip for lots of neighbours and friends. Equally, others in non affected suburbs could go for broke and get rid of all of their accumulating rubbish.

Another idea for those affected would be to take their bins or contents to friends or family in neighbouring suburbs and have them collected there as scheduled.

magiccar9 said :

Does it strike anyone that the suburbs listed are considered the ‘more wealthy’ suburbs of Canberra (spare Dixson).
Poor little souls wouldn’t know what to do with their uncollected wine bottles and latte cups.

Ironically you could assume they’re the ones with the suburban SUVs and money to afford the plastic bags to put their trash in to take to the dump. Oh wait… conditioned leather + trash juices = bad.

How are things out there in Envystan?

(The idea that wine is anything but an essential is ludicrous. Or that O’Connor is anything but totally working class…)

Darkfalz said :

Ours still sitting on the curb a week before a house inspection. Great… Now, not to denigrate these guys but they get paid pretty well for garbage men, somewhere around 70-80k I think. What are they striking over?

They want more gender-balance, no doubt, and they are upset that the femenists’ push for gender-balancing seems to have unaccountably missed the waste industry.

magiccar9 said :

Does it strike anyone that the suburbs listed are considered the ‘more wealthy’ suburbs of Canberra (spare Dixson).
Poor little souls wouldn’t know what to do with their uncollected wine bottles and latte cups.

Ironically you could assume they’re the ones with the suburban SUVs and money to afford the plastic bags to put their trash in to take to the dump. Oh wait… conditioned leather + trash juices = bad.

Didn’t bother me. The butler organised one of the gardners to take it out to the tip.

Does it strike anyone that the suburbs listed are considered the ‘more wealthy’ suburbs of Canberra (spare Dixson).
Poor little souls wouldn’t know what to do with their uncollected wine bottles and latte cups.

Ironically you could assume they’re the ones with the suburban SUVs and money to afford the plastic bags to put their trash in to take to the dump. Oh wait… conditioned leather + trash juices = bad.

Ours still sitting on the curb a week before a house inspection. Great… Now, not to denigrate these guys but they get paid pretty well for garbage men, somewhere around 70-80k I think. What are they striking over?

BimboGeek said :

Oh splendid. I’ll just chuck it in the back of the hatchback, shall I?

Nah – use the bicycle.

wildturkeycanoe4:51 pm 24 Aug 13

Does this one free trip to the tip apply to anybody? Doesn’t stipulate that you have to prove your residential address or that you have to be affected, so go for it people, our wishes for free tip day have come true.

Yeah well since the plastic bag ban the rubbish in my bin has not been neatly packaged in supermarket bags, and is no state to fish back out of the bin and put in my car for a trip to the dump!!!

Oh splendid. I’ll just chuck it in the back of the hatchback, shall I?

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