Dundee bin complaints pile up – and strikes haven’t even started yet

Dundee council chiefs are dealing with hundreds of complaints every week about bins not being emptied.

The local authority has received more than 4,000 complaints about missed collections since the start of 2024.

The number of complaints has been steadily rising since the early part of the year, peaking at 300 in a single week in June.

A further 500 complaints were lodged during the first two weeks of July, according to data obtained by The Courier through Freedom of Information.

10% of Dundee bin workers absent some weeks

It comes after several instances of rubbish piling up at sites in the city due to staff shortages.

Staff absence rates have been as high as 10% on some weeks in 2024, including at the end of June and the start of July.

Vacancy rates in the council’s bins department have also been as high as 6.9% though this has dropped below 2% in recent months.

The council is braced for more bins disruption when staff go on strike from next week.

At the start of July, one businessman hit out after huge piles of rubbish in the West End saw dozens of gulls descending on one street.

Then later that week, the council confirmed it was “reprioritising” bin collections due to staff shortages.

Just weeks previously, council leader John Alexander had pledged an additional £200,000 to be spent on improving street cleanliness in Dundee.

However, Lib Dem councillor Daniel Coleman has blamed the council’s SNP administration for Dundee turning into a “bit of a midden”.

‘We run the risk of losing bonnie Dundee name due to bins mess’

He said: “Let’s be clear, it is not the staff’s fault, they are doing a great job with limited resources, the blunt reality is there’s not enough of them.

“Dundee is turning into a bit of a midden on the SNPs careless watch.

“We feel they have completely failed on environmental issues including street cleaning and park maintenance, which I have recently highlighted at Camperdown Park.

“We all want to see things getting better again as we were always known as ‘bonnie Dundee’.

“Yet we run the risk of losing that well-earned name.”

Mr Alexander, leader of the SNP administration, has been contacted for comment.

However, he has previously spoken of the “agonising” decisions he has had to make in cutting back spending on council services.

A council spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, for various operational reasons during this period, a higher number of missed weekly bin collections have occurred than we would have liked.

“We are working to resolve any staffing issues in order to prevent this from recurring in the future.

“We will publish and share with residents the city waste arrangements and associated guidance for the planned strike action period scheduled to take place between August 14-21 inclusive at the earliest opportunity.”