Mr. Pat McCabe:

It features in every survey and it is generally in respect of how they feel the company interacts with them in relation to health and safety. They do not feel that they have a voice. They feel that if there are issues on health and safety, they are imposed rather than done in a fashion that we would say is collaborative and consultative. There are concerns about the maintenance of the trucks, for instance. There are concerns for their own health and safety regarding the fact that it is dirty work, which exposes them to pathogens and infections.

As we have pointed out, within domestic waste collection, sick pay schemes are a rarity and they depend solely on the five-day provision that is there, and at 70% of their wages. They are told to go and visit a doctor and get their prescription, and they are penalised very much for being out sick. Those are the kinds of things they want to see addressed within their own employment, particularly in regard to welfare at the depots. There is a wide disparity in that some places have very good welfare facilities but they barely exist in other places.