Rubbish collectors across large parts of Perth are planning to strike from midnight tonight over a pay and conditions dispute with their employer.
Residents in the local councils of Vincent, Bayswater, Victoria Park, Kalamunda, Fremantle, South Perth and Mandurah are expected to be affected.
People in the shires of Capel and Collie in WA's South-West have also been warned they could experience disruption.
The Transport Workers Union is locked in a dispute with the waste management company Cleanaway.
The union's state secretary Tim Dawson told ABC Radio Perth people may not have their bins picked up tomorrow.
"Our members will be taking industrial action, they'll be walking off the job for 24 hours," Mr Dawson said.
"Bins won't be picked up in those suburbs.
"They're large councils and there's a lot of homes in [those] councils and any bins that need to be picked up tomorrow won't be picked up."
Back-up plan for collection 'unlikely'
Mr Dawson claimed it was unlikely the councils could organise back-up plans in time to empty all the bins.
He called on residents to pressure the councils.
"They need to get onto [the] local councils and they need to put pressure on them to put pressure on Cleanaway.
"They are the clients of Cleanaway, Cleanaway needs to supply a service to them and they need to talk to them and make sure that Cleanaway comes to the table and negotiates in good faith."
Councils tell residents to put bins out
However, the TWU strike is protected action so the councils it has identified have had time to prepare.
Joondalup Council, which was listed by the union as one of the local councils that would be affected, said its bin collection services would go ahead regardless of the action.
Fremantle Council has told residents to present their bins for collection as normal.
Bayswater, Vincent and Victoria Park have advised residents to put their bins out and not to retrieve them until they're emptied.
The City of South Perth said Cleanaway has advised that household rubbish collection would be prioritised on Wednesday, with minimal disruption anticipated.
It has advised residents to present bins for collection as normal and not retrieve them until they have been emptied.
Kalamunda Council has told residents it's possible that bins may be collected a day later than usual, on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
Residents have been asked to present bins for collection and to not retrieve them until they have been emptied.
The Shire of Collie has warned it is anticipating minimal interruptions, with the delay of some Cleanaway services possibly going into the following day.
Demand for pay rise to keep pace with inflation
Negotiations between the union and Cleanaway have been ongoing for several months.
Mr Dawson said the union was asking for a pay rise in line with inflation.
"Their claim is to take away overtime rates, to drive down standards and to take away conditions," Mr Dawson said.
"Our members work weekends, they don't refuse to work weekends, but they work [those] weekends as overtime rosters and we're saying that that needs to continue and they need to come to the table and give a decent pay rise."
He said there could be more industrial action.
Bins to be picked up 'sooner or later'
Mr Dawson said he did not know when bins would be picked up, saying it would be "up to Cleanaway and their scheduling".
"They will get picked up sooner or later, but it may take days."
Cleanaway has said TWU members make up a minority of its WA workforce and not all members would necessarily participate in the industrial action.
In a statement, the company has called on the TWU to "negotiate productively", describing the package offered to workers as very competitive and saying it "reflects the needs of the modern workforce".
Regional residents could be impacted
Residents in WA's South-West are also being warned industrial action could disrupt rubbish collection this week.
The strikes will not impact the regional centre of Bunbury but smaller councils, including Capel and Collie, are being told to expect disruptions.
Capel chief executive Gordon MacMile said locals should still put their bins out for collection.
"We've just been telling residents via our social media page and via our customer services to put their bin out on the normal day and to leave it out on the curb until its emptied," he said.
"It's still unclear whether or not the industrial action is going to go ahead."
