Refuse workers hailed by councillor for their efforts during ‘exceptional’ time amid significant shortage

Bin men have been hailed as the new heroes of the Angus Covid19 front line.

The refuse workers were singled out for special praise by a senior councillor as he added his voice of thanks to authority staff for their work in “exceptional circumstances”.

Communities convener Mark Salmond said the council had been hit hard by staff absence during the pandemic.

The Montrose independent said: “I am reluctant to single out any one particular area, but I have seen the public appreciation of the work of our waste collection staff and I feel I must echo those thanks.

“Staffing is significantly down among our waste and recycling collection teams – by more than a third in some cases – and yet those who are able to work, supported by redeployed staff and agency workers, are pulling out all the stops.

“They may not be commonly regarded as emergency workers, but they are working on the front line in emergency circumstances to provide an essential service for us all and they have my heartfelt thanks for that.”

Not all of the council’s bin collections are being completed because of the reduced staff numbers, with kerbside food waste uplifts predominantly hit.

All of the Angus recycling centres remain closed until further notice.

Staff absences at Dundee City Council have led to overflowing dog waste bins around the city.

The problem has been observed at the beachfront in Broughty Ferry, Panmurefield, Guthrie Terrace, Baxter Park and the green area between Marlee Road and Torridon Road.

Liberal Democrat councillor Craig Duncan said he has contacted neighbourhood services before the situation becomes a “public health issue”.

He also appealed for people to be patient as the council is dealing with increased demand on services and urged dog walkers to use litter bins in the meantime.

Mr Duncan said: “The council right now is struggling with a huge amount of absences.

“It means the council are playing catch-up with a lot of routine things, such as emptying dog bins.

“I’ve reported the issue to the council and to be fair they’re trying to sort it as quickly as possible.”

A Dundee City Council spokeswoman said: “While we are working hard to ensure dog waste bins are emptied, Covid-19 is causing disruption to services.

“We would ask dog owners to be responsible when disposing of any waste, using nearby litter bins in addition to dog waste bins.

“Council staff are working hard to deliver services to the people of Dundee in the face of major challenges and we would ask people for their patience and understanding.”

Many dog poo bins have not been emptied.