[Edinburgh-carecampaign] Protesters strike again as bin lorries blockaded - from Evening News

[Danny]

Protesters strike again as bin lorries blockaded
	                                                            Published Date: 
	                                                            28 September 2009
	                                                        
															By LAURA CUMMINGS
															
														

												

											
											
											
											PROTESTERS
have blockaded lorries being used by private contractors during the
city's bin dispute for a third time in the space of a week.

											Around
20 demonstrators prevented two lorries from leaving the Grassmarket by
standing at the front and rear of the vehicles, while waving placards
reading 'no more scabs' and 'support council bin workers'. The group, which includes members of the Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty (ECAP) and Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), carried out a similar
protest in Blair Street last Friday, and another at the junction of
Bread Street and Spittal Street last Monday.

The protest took place just after 7pm on Friday, and broke up peacefully when police asked the demonstrators to move on.

Ecap
member Michael Edwards, 57, from Muirhouse, said: "New people came
along to the protest on Friday night after reading the article about
our last protest in the Evening News, so we think it is gaining
strength. We were very pleased with the action on Friday because we
stopped two lorries from operating for an hour, which is quite good
going, and we will certainly be planning more actions in the near
future. We are hoping to step them up even more."

A spokesman
for Lothian and Borders Police confirmed that all of the demonstrators
moved on peacefully when asked, and that no arrests were made. 

No arrests were made at the previous two protests either. 

Protester
Tom Morton, 27, from Pilton, said: "I think unless something is done
about this, the wages of all manual workers are going to get pushed
down, which impacts on everyone. I think it is worth fighting for."

The
vehicles in each instance were owned by Midlands-based hire firm WCR,
while the workers were believed to have been recruited by an employment
agency through job centres. 

The only female to take part in
the protest on Friday night, who is a member of IWW and did not want to
be named, said: "I find it really useful to show solidarity and support
for other workers, even although we are not in the same industry.

"I
think it is really important for people to unite and show solidarity. I
have taken part in the last two protests and probably will take part in
the next protests as well. It will be interesting to see what happens
in the next few weeks."

Meanwhile, protester Malcolm MacDonald,
60, from East Craigs, added: "I want to support the bin workers. The
longer the protests go on, the more people they will attract." A
council spokesman previously told the Evening News: "Our priority is to
ensure people get the services they need and we don't think there will
be much support for a group that would seek to disrupt that." 
port council bin workers'.




      
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