http://www.herald.ie/news/bins-fiasco-2990497.html IT WAS the first day on the job - and things couldn't have gone any worse for Dublin's new private bin operator. Householders are furious and say that Greyhound Recycling and Recovery failed to tell them the new bin collection schedule. Our pictures show bin bags strewn across pavements and roadsides in Dublin's East Wall -- with local councillors blaming the company for "leaving residents in limbo". Greyhound officially assumed control of the bin service yesterday after almost 150 years of Dublin City Council control. But angry residents contacted the Herald yesterday claiming that they did not receive notification from Greyhound that their bins would not be collected until later in the week. And dozens more flooded the council phone line and RTE's Liveline, to vent their anger at the company's decision to impose a €100 upfront charge. Limbo Residents in East Wall and other parts of the city claimed that they put out their bins for collection yesterday but they were not picked up. Independent Councillor Cieran Perry told the Herald: "Residents have been left in limbo. "Not only has the company given four weeks' notice to pay a €100 charge -- one which people can't afford -- they failed to carry out their duties properly on their first day." Greyhound recycling and recovery told the Herald today however that it was "Dublin City Council's fault" that the bins were not collected. A spokesperson said "This was Dublin City Council's hangover. These bins in the likes of East Wall should have been collected by them. However we made to make that right last night and will continue to do that today. "Greyhound included a new collection calendar for 2012 in the information pack sent to customers. Customers can also visit www.greyhound.ie where they can type in their address to view or download a PDF of their collection calendar." Meanwhile, the city's former bin men must wait until Friday to find out what area of work they will be deployed to following the sale of the service. Some 110 bin men do not know what part of the city they will be working in or the nature of the work they will be doing. Senior sources in the council today the Herald that the men will find it "very difficult" to transfer to a different area of work following years collecting the city's bins. "They are gutted to be leaving a job they love," said a source. There were emotional scenes at the council's depot in Glasnevin last week where the workers spoke of "the end of an era". Phillip Gough -- who has collected bins for 15 years -- told the Herald that collecting the bins was "in his blood". "The binmen were there when most of the city slept. We were part of Dublin during the rare auld times." This last line is so true it's unreal the way the guys and the residents everywhere are now been treated by this new scheme. There will be rubbish on the streets for weeks to come as most will not want to pay this €100 charge.
We've had problems for the past couple of weeks, with bins either not being collected when due or else not collected at all .... ultimately, we had to get onto the local councillors to help get the matter sorted out. I suspect the outgoing binmen took an extended Christmas to be honest ... Having said that, I don't agree with the way in which the matter has been dealt with, or the manner in which the outgoing binmen appear to have been treated - messing people about without even having the courtesy of telling them where they will be working, what retraining etc will be given is simply not good enough - typical Dublin CC mind you, they need their arses kicked !!! Greyhound have yet to send any info in my letter box and are also due to have taken over bin collections for my area ... I'm going to fire them off an email complaining now and would encourage others to do the same - no way in hell we should allow them mess us about, so start as we mean to continue I say !
Nothing could be further from the truth Garrett,I for one worked all over the Xmas including bank holidays,we didn't get any extended break.a few lads might've failed to turn up but that can happen in any job. Its disgraceful the way Dublin city council have acted in this,with both the binmen and the householders but it doesn't surprise me at all.greyhound aren't covering themselves in glory either.. I know that lad mentioned in the article very well btw. I took part in a discussion about this on liveline today,didn't give my real name though..
Our out bins where collected there this evening at 7:30 no notice at all, thank god we left them out all day but I hate doing that. Yeah Willie it's a horrible situation to be put in wouln't like to be in the same scenario. So now the black bins go out this evening and am not sure if they to will be collected at all hope so. still no corespondence in the letterbox eiter to let us know what's going on. joke it is
Just for the record mate, I was specifially referring to the outgoing binmen on our route in my original post, not every route etc ... and I've a load of neighbours who will confirm what I'm saying is true about none of our bins getting picked up (for any of the three coloured bins, I'm not just talking about a single, once off incident) Absolutely agree with you though, it's just like any other service you care to name, be it milkmen, solicitors, postmen, dry cleaners, doctors, dare I mention bankers or whatever ... there's people who go sick, do a bunk, work hard (or don't) etc. Anyway, my growing concern is what's yet to come - early impressions on Greyhound are not particularly good, with: - their website not updated to give accurate info on the new areas they are collecting from - their failure to give people adequate notice on what days they will pick up the various bins, how to pay etc - what appears to have been a complete disaster down East Wall, based on that news article from the Herald etc
That sounds to me like an access issue garrett if it was ongoing,the driver will try his best to drive/reverse up a particular road but if he is obstructed there's not a lot he can do.
Not wanting to wreck your head mate .... but the bin lorries have been able to get in and out of our little part of the world for many years - even with cars parked on both sides of the road leading into it, the entrance is plenty wide and there's no gates etc. Appreciate the point your making all the same though, Willie.