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Any Edinburgh Bin Men on Here!
scootz - 6/8/09 at 09:39 PM

Explain yourselves please!

Why is it you always 'work to rule' in the lead up to the worlds biggest arts festival! Conicidence, or a ruthless bargaining tool to get more money. I'm fairly sure I know the answer!

In an economic climate where folk are losing jobs left right and centre, is this kind of conduct acceptible?

Edinburgh, undoubtedy one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is absolutely mobbed with tourists right nowand the place is a tip! A complete and utter disgrace.

Shame on you!


owelly - 6/8/09 at 09:42 PM

But they'll be on their best behaviour on the run-up to Christmas!!!


scootz - 6/8/09 at 10:15 PM

True... Lol!


zilspeed - 6/8/09 at 10:37 PM

We were actually going to go to Edinburgh last week for a day out.
(I know, a weird concept, but bear with me.)

Anyway, Jackie Bird came on the telly and showed us pictures of black bags full of rubbish lying about the place.

We didn't bother.

Bit of a shame really.


scootz - 6/8/09 at 10:53 PM

Stay away!

The binmens industrial action is one thing, but the mess in the city centre due to the tram project is also an outrage!

It will take a couple of years to get it back to 'how it was'.

In the meantime, take a drive up the west coast - visit Mallaig, Glenfinnan, etc. All good for the soul!


ChrisW - 6/8/09 at 11:01 PM

Nearly as bad as the bin men around here. Left an air con pump out for them a few weeks ago, they left it behind. Stuck it in a bag next week, they opened it, then left it when they saw inside. The week later I caught them and said 'take this will you guys?'. Cue teeth sucking and 'more than me jobs worth mate', 'get in trouble for taking that' bollocks.

Then a week later they drove over a manhole cover on private property belonging to the apartment block where I live, smashed it, and left the front of the lorry down the hole. Cue four of them pushing and a few tyre marks to get it out.

Did they do what their job states and report it? No chance! Just left a blooming great hole for someone to fall down full of bits of broken cast iron cover!

Tossers

Chris


[Edited on 8/6/2009 by ChrisW]


SeaBass - 6/8/09 at 11:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Stay away!

It will take a couple of years to get it back to 'how it was'.


You must be joking - it'll never be like it was with buses and "green trams" fighting for the same blacktop...

Load of crap - how long until the next congestion charging ballot?? Or will they just force it when the streets and jammed by the trams.

Don't get me started.


dave1888 - 7/8/09 at 06:39 AM

I once saw an Edinburgh binman rip open a bag and remove a piece of copper pipe from it, he then shoved the pipe in a box on the motor and left the bag behind. I asked him why he never lifted the bag and his reply was "we're not allowed to lift ripped bags"


scootz - 7/8/09 at 08:19 AM

I'm just so fed up with the direction Edinburgh is taking. Princes Street must be one of the prettiest city-centre streets in the world... right now it still has the same splendour of the gardens / castle on the south side, the street itself is one long ugly building site, and the once prestigious shops on the north side are just jam-packed with tat outlets!

And as for these 'Scottish Gift Shops' with their blaring recorded pipe music and 'kilts' at £40 a pop. Why are they allowed to exist! They are a further embarrassment.

You never see a Police Officer on the beat, but within 10 mins of walking around the city-centre you will see a couple of dozen parking-wardens!

What is wrong!? Bloody everything!

I worked in the Balkans for a few years and during my days off we would go to various European cities... Vienna, Budapest, etc. All wonderful places. Got onto the subject of 'best' city and a well travelled Aussie mate said it was Edinburgh that did it for him. I was surprised, but on my next visit home I actually lifted my head and looked around... the Grassmarket, Princes Street, the Mound, the Royal Mile, Holyrood, etc. and it struck me - he was right! Absoutely stunning city!

That was 2005... roll on 4 years and although the great sites are still there to be seen, the streets are a dump, roads ripped up, and traffic management non-existant. Totally detracts from the once magnificent city?

If these trams fail, or the process of putting them in place takes (even) longer than expected, and the local authority doesn't pull it's finger out of it's backside and start getting tough, then the city may never recover!


Mr Whippy - 7/8/09 at 08:20 AM

I noticed on Tuesday that our bin men is now just a bin man in a lorry and that he doesn’t even get out the cab, since his lorry has a robot arm that comes out the side, picks up & empties the bin into the back before placing it back on the pavement. All very fancy but now even an old granny could do that job, if the bin men strike too much they’ll just be replaced with pensioners.


scootz - 7/8/09 at 08:31 AM

I'm all for a workforce standing up to get a fair deal, but as the pay-disputes always start at the approach of the festival period, it just smacks of ransom.

Perhaps this is the year that the council are getting tough and whilst acknowledging the untidy state caused by the roadworks, they are just going to ignore the binmens demands. Suffer a year for a brighter future???

I doubt the City of Edinburgh council is bright / decisive enough to make these decisions!


morcus - 7/8/09 at 11:17 AM

Unfortunatly that people in general, especially groups of people. Its things like that which undermine the whole ethic of trade unionism.


David Jenkins - 7/8/09 at 11:40 AM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
I'm all for a workforce standing up to get a fair deal, but as the pay-disputes always start at the approach of the festival period, it just smacks of ransom.



Maybe it's just nicer to have a few days off in the summer, rather than in the depths of winter?

Unions aren't too popular in our region at the moment - almost all of the trains are stopped due to industrial action by the RMT and ASLEF. They've not managed the public's perception either, just demanding more money and shorter hours. This does not go down well with commuters who are losing jobs, getting no pay rise, or even pay cuts this year. I think the truth of it is that National Express are a cr*p company who are only good at running buses, but the unions have hardly played that story.

Oh yes - the postmen have just gone on a 48-hour strike too...