Bord na Móna Recycling Faces Industrial Action Amidst Proposed Sale
Dublin, Ireland – April 1, 2025 – As Bord na Móna Recycling prepares for potential shifts in its operational landscape, industrial action looms on the horizon. The Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) has announced a strike set to take place on April 2 and 3, aiming to halt domestic waste collection services across several counties. This development underscores tensions surrounding the proposed sale of the company to KWD Recycling.
Bord na Móna Recycling, a commercial semi-state entity, serves approximately 135,000 domestic and business customers in Leinster and Munster, operating predominantly via wheelie bin and waste collection services. The prospective sale has prompted concerns among workers over job security and the maintenance of their existing terms and conditions.
SIPTU members, motivated by fears of diminished employment protections and standards, have authorized strike action with a significant 95% voting majority. Adrian Kane, a divisional organiser for SIPTU, criticized the management for allegedly orchestrating the privatization process without adequately safeguarding workers’ rights. Kane emphasized the absence of a Registered Employment Agreement, which he argues is crucial to safeguarding employment conditions under new ownership.
This industrial move casts a spotlight on the preservation of jobs and the protection of service standards in a potentially privatized waste management sector. SIPTU representatives are scheduled to meet with Bord na Móna Recycling management later this week, alongside renewed requests to engage with the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’Brien. The union is urging the minister’s intervention to ensure that workers’ rights and the economic sustainability of the remaining publicly owned waste management service are appropriately addressed.
As negotiations continue, the public and stakeholders are watching closely. The union has appealed to Bord na Móna Recycling’s loyal customer base to support the strike, emphasizing its role in preventing service cost increases and maintaining high environmental standards.
The Irish Independent seeks further comment from Bord na Móna in response to these developments. The outcome of these negotiations could set a precedent for future privatizations in sectors critical to public service and environmental adherence.
In this crucial period, Bord na Móna Recycling’s management and union representatives face the task of reconciling the company’s strategic directions with the workforce’s calls for secure, fair employment conditions, all while considering the broader implications for Ireland’s waste management infrastructure.