BIN men lobbied South Ayrshire Council members with Maltesers to protest the 'unjustified' way they have been treated by council bosses. 

Some 35 strikers surrounded the County Buildings peacefully last Thursday morning as the strikes continue. 

One protester was denied access to use the toilet facilities before being charged 30 pence. Unite union have written to council leaders who made the decision, in a bid to have a 'reasonable' discussion about it.

But on May, 5 they were told by the leader and deputy leader it would not be appropriate. An email from depute leader John McDowall 'thanked Unite and their team for their efforts to resolve the dispute'. 

Officials had tried to tell their workers that they were picketing illegally but they did not back down and assured the council they were lobbying peacefully which is within their rights. 

Jim Winter, Regional Officer of Unite union explained: "We brought the Maltesers to make a point. What we are looking for is to talk to the elected members who made this decision that imposed working hours up to 10pm.

"They were under threat to sign their new contract and were basically told sign it or you will be dismissed."

A week long strike will run until Thursday, May 19 and workers are discussing further action in June and July which could affect the Troon Open.

Jim continued: "They [authorities] say this is not our main place of work, we are supposed to picket at our depot but this is not a picket but legal peaceful lobbying.

"The main issue is bullying by the underlying threats of management. You can see the boys are in good spirits and have adopted a jovial attitude.We regret any affect on the public and I believe we do have growing public support on this."

Concerned workers told the Ayr Advertiser: "We have been forced into this new agreement. Two of our gaffers have been off with work related stress. We have lives too but the council seem to forget that.

"They have not thought the process through. They are trying to save money but in the long run it will cost them more. We are not striking because we want more money. It is all to do with public safety.

"A little girl ran out in front of a lorry on Ayr High street on evening. The people who have made this decision don't even live in South Ayrshire but come here once every three years and make a mess, leaving us to deal with it.

"They brought in these new working rules in Fife and thought it would work here. The whole thing is a shambles and no efficiency in services with these changes. It is beyond incompetence.

"From day one, two years ago, we were told we would be signing these contracts. It is just a bullying tactic. We asked the leadership panel to contact the public about this issue but they said they 'did not have to.'

"For 50 years bin men have been lifting bins and now we are being told we don't have to separate rubbish from blue and green bins. What is the point of the public recycling."

Hygiene, contamination and lack of facilities at night is another point of concern.Locks at the depot on Walker Road were changed overnight from Tuesday, May 3 to Wednesday, May 4 without telling bin men. 

One worker added: "It was poetic justice."

Mike Newall, Head of Neighbourhood Services, said: "Not all of our waste management staff are striking, some are continuing to provide this vital service and we thank them for their work, especially under challenging circumstances. 

"The strike is about introducing shift working which means the Council saves money on vehicles rather than on staff. It means we've been able to protect employee jobs and increase their wages. The changes were approved by Councillors and save more than £375,000 per year. 

"The move by some of the waste management staff to escalate the strike action is really disappointing as we’ve been in consultation with the unions regarding new waste management options since July 2014. As a result of a specific request by Unite to finish shifts earlier, especially on a Friday, we offered a finish of 9.15 Monday to Thursday and 8:15 pm on a Friday but this was rejected outright by Unite members. 

"We will continue to talk to Unite the Union to try to resolve the situation and minimise the effect of strike action on our communities. I would like to thank householders for their co-operation and patience."