Binmen laid off after refusal to confront bin protesters

BINMEN working out of one of the country’s largest depots were temporarily laid off yesterday, after defying orders to drive trucks to the compound entrance to confront an anti-waste charge protest.

Almost 80 staff attached to the Ballymount depot, which serves 75,000 households in South Dublin County Council, ended up outside the gates alongside protesters after refusing to become involved in the dispute, which has seen demonstrations outside the depot every morning for over a week.

Council management said the action was necessary to demonstrate to waiting gardaí that the trucks could not get past the gate, because of the protest. Gardaí needed the evidence in order to arrest the protesters under the terms of an injunction, obtained by the council in the High Court.