The deputy chief executive of Wirral Council said he is "desperately disappointed" as ongoing strikes mean that the borough will see no bin collections until well into the new year.
Negotiations between waste collection workers and Biffa bosses failed to reach a pay agreement on December 23, meaning strike action will go ahead from December 28 to 30, January 3 to 6, and January 16 to 21 2023.
This means there will be no bulk bin collections, bulky waste collections, street cleaning, emptying of public litter bins or removal of fly tipping in Wirral until January 7, and no household bin collections until January 9.
READ MORE: Wirral Council flooded with 2,500 complaints over overflowing bins
David Armstrong, deputy chief executive of Wirral Council, said: "Despite negotiations lasting throughout the day, it is with regret that we have been told that planned industrial action by Biffa staff is still set to go ahead after the workforce voted to reject the latest improved offer.
"Their decision effectively means that, after today, there will be no household waste collections until January 9 2023.
"This is a desperately disappointing situation for residents, many of whom will have already not received a recycling collection for a number of weeks due to the previous industrial action and our decision to prioritise the emptying of green bins.
"It is inevitable that the absence of the services usually provided by Biffa will have a significant detrimental impact on residents, businesses and – potentially – the local environment. However, we are extremely limited in our options to effectively mitigate this impact.
"We continue to urge both sides in this dispute to carry on their dialogue with the aim of a resolution – and a return to normal service – at the earliest opportunity."
More than 200 Biffa employees on the outsourced Wirral council contract announced their plans to escalate strike action after the company "failed to make a fair pay offer".
Unite the Union said that many employees had "low pay rates," including HGV drivers being paid £11.95 an hour, refuse operatives on £11.50 and street operatives on only £10.76. The workers are seeking a fully backdated 15% increase to reset their pay rates and tackle the cost of living crisis.
A Biffa spokesman said: "A pay offer that is well above inflation has been rejected by Unite. If further strike action goes ahead, we will work closely with the council to minimise any disruption to services."
Wirral Council recently shut down part of its website which allows residents to report missed bin collections "due to unprecedented demand" after it received more than 2,500 reports following a five-day strike from December 5 to 10.
The next round of strikes, due to start tomorrow, will coincide another strike involving 180 workers from Veolia, the organisation contracted by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority, from December 28 to 31, Janaury 2 to 7, and January 15 to 21. This means that residents will not be able to take their green waste to the nearby Bidstone Recycling Centre.
Unite regional officer John McColl said: “The escalation of the dispute will lead to further disruption of refuse collections across the Wirral but this dispute is a direct result of Biffa’s stubborn refusal to pay its workers fairly.”
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