An Update on Industrial Action at Veolia Sheffield

Updates on the inter-union dispute between Unite and GMB at Veolia Sheffield

Since August last year, Veolia has been stuck in the middle of an inter-union dispute between two of the biggest trade unions in the country, Unite the Union and the GMB. The dispute is due to Unite’s attempts to gain recognition at our site in Sheffield, where the GMB has been recognised for more than 20 years.

Over the past year, Unite has falsely accused Veolia of ‘union-busting’. 

They have protested across the world, arguing they are entitled to formal recognition – with strike pay and travel costs across the year costing Unite members more than £500,000. However, the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) in April rejected Unite’s application for recognition amongst our workforce, proving that this whole dispute has been unnecessary, futile and damaging - exactly as Veolia has said all along. Despite this decision, Unite is continuing its disruptive campaign.

The CAC decision also proves that Unite’s claims of ‘union-busting’ have been completely baseless. As a company, we are proud to have good relations with the five trade unions we work with across the UK. Indeed, we recently agreed a multi-year pay deal for all our colleagues in Sheffield. We recognise the importance good relations have to the success of our business, which is why it is so disappointing that Unite launched and have continued with their attack.

The GMB has been our recognised union at Veolia Sheffield Lumley Street for the past 20 years and can count the majority of our workers as members, which is why the CAC rejected Unite’s application for recognition. Despite Unite knowing this long-standing representation was in place, they have been demanding formal recognition. However, they also knew that if Veolia granted recognition to Unite it would lead to the GMB launching a counter-dispute. Risking a walkout by the GMB would mean the majority of the refuse collectors would be on strike so bins would not be collected in Sheffield. Of course, this is something we don’t want to happen and we have been working hard throughout the past year to continue essential services with minimal disruption.

Despite our commitment to dialogue from the outset, Veolia has been the target of a relentless and misguided campaign of intimidation and harassment by Unite officials, who have falsely cast us as “union-busters”. Veolia has always maintained that this is untrue – we have a rich history of industrial relations and we will always respect the right of all employees to be a member of a trade union of their choice.

In July 2025, Veolia launched legal proceedings against Unite for the damage caused by its campaign of defamation to undermine our reputation and our business. We did not take this decision lightly but it’s clear that we must stand up against Unite’s excessive tactics.

We call on Unite to immediately end their misguided and unnecessary campaign, respect the CAC’s decision and accept the GMB’s offer which will enable our colleagues to return to work.