Refuse workers have held a demonstration against Veolia over the company’s refusal to recognise members of the Unite union.

Trade unionists gathering at the city’s Lumley Street depot before marching to Sheffield Town Hall.

The demonstration aimed to deliver a strong message of unity and solidarity as workers continue their fight for union recognition.

The ongoing industrial action by Veolia workers in Sheffield has intensified, with protests today outside Sheffield Town Hall. Workers from Unite the Union were joined by members of the CGT – Confédération Générale du Travail – union from France to show support for the unite workers striking in Sheffield.

Unite member and striking worker Joel Mayfield said: ”We’ve been on strike for eight months for one simple thing: we want to be recognised. We demand to be recognised by the trade union of our choice, not the choice of our employers

While Veolia currently recognises the GMB union for negotiations on pay and working conditions, many workers are arguing they should be represented by Unite the Union instead..

The dispute began in August 2024 and revolves around Veolia’s refusal to recognise Unite the Union as the representative body for some of its workers at the waste management facility in the Lumley Street depot.

In December 2024, Veolia agreed to recognise Unite, but then backed out of the deal, which led to the continuation of the strike. 

The Veolia strikes call on Sheffield City Council to ‘step up and hold Veolia accountable’.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “In all my years in the union movement, I have never known a deal to be this close, only for the employer to back out and betray the workforce at the last minute.”

In a show of international solidarity, CGT members from France have joined the protests today. The CGT is a prominent French trade union.

They have a long-standing reputation for advocating workers’ rights and supporting labour movements. Their international involvement in the protest is intended to increase pressure on Veolia.

Veolia has said that it cannot enter a separate recognition agreement with Unite because of its existing arrangement with the GMB union.

The dispute remains unresolved, with both Unite the Union and Veolia yet to reach an agreement. The protests continue to put pressure on the company to engage in negotiations and end the industrial action.

Sheffield residents are still experiencing disruptions in waste collection and recycling services across the city, including the temporary closure of several recycling centres.

Veolia has prioritised black, brown, and blue bin collections during the industrial action and urged residents to use Sheffield’s Household Waste Recycling Centres for excess waste.