‘Bin man hurled abuse at me’ – disabled Barrow dad
Last updated at 16:50, Friday, 04 January 2013
A DISABLED dad-of-two claims he was subjected to foul mouthed abuse and branded “lazy” by a bin man.
Colin Barnes, from Blake Street, Barrow, suffers from a damaged spine and carpal tunnel syndrome, and is on a “help list” with bin collectors.
The arrangement means employees from Biffa, contracted by Barrow Borough Council to collect waste, are expected to enter the 48-year-old’s back yard to empty his bins.
However, on December 13, Mr Barnes, who is also carer to his wife Helen, who has multiple sclerosis, saw his rubbish had not been collected.
Realising the Biffa lorry was still further up the road from his house, Mr Barnes ignored his chronic back pain and dragged the full wheelie bin to the waste disposal team, asking them to empty it.
He said: “One of them jumped out of the truck, told the loader not to empty it and pushed the bin away.
“He called me a ‘lazy b******’ and said he would get me taken off the help list.
“I didn’t react, I just took my bin back home and called Biffa to complain.
“My back was hurting so much I was in bed for two days because I dragged the bin up the street.”
Mr Barnes says he had to enlist the help of his son to take his rubbish to a tip, meaning his son had to wash out the car boot.
“I feel quite angry, there was no need to speak to me like that. It’s not my fault I can’t work,” he said.
“I used to be a tyre fitter and worked from when I left school, but I had to retire in 1997 because lifting tyres had damaged my spine.”
Mr Barnes said he rang Biffa and was told the operative would be spoken to, but on December 29, the date of his next collection, the bins had again not been emptied.
He said: “They said last time that the gate was locked. It was just a little stiff from the rain, but this time I got up and left the gate ajar and they still didn’t take them.”
“I feel victimised because I made the complaint.”
A statement from Biffa said: “The allegations made by Mr Barnes are of serious concern to Biffa, and the matter is being fully investigated.
“Biffa’s internal policy does not tolerate any inappropriate, insensitive or disrespectful behaviour by staff towards residents.”
First published at 16:29, Thursday, 03 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
The bin men are the lazy sods if you ask me, Many times they empty the empty bins and leave them half way down the street. If you are disabled then it does make it hard for you to wheel them back as they are not lightweight. Why don't the council train people on U/Benefit and get them to do it for a wage and leave the lazy contractors to stew in their own rubbish!!!!!! Just an observation!
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Not an isolated incident of bin men not collecting rubbish they should, some not all are just to lazy to do it properly.
Posted by AJ on 6 January 2013 at 13:39