Pampered binmen refuse to pick up rubbish bags this Xmas... in case they hurt their backs

The decision by dustmen based on health and safety rules has been condemned as madness by residents.

But union leaders in Havant, Hampshire, said they were worried workers could damage their backs bending over to pick up heavy bags or cut themselves on sharp objects sticking through the plastic.

Householders, who usually put out household rubbish and recyclables on alternate weeks, had wanted extra collections over Christmas.

Council chiefs agreed to let them put out a black bag alongside their regular wheelie bin.

But the dustmen voted to ignore the bags - quoting the council's rules which dictate that only rubbish in wheelie bins will be collected and any other rubbish must be left.

Council leader David Gillett said the binmen are blowing the request out of all proportion because all they are being asked to do is collect one extra bag of rubbish.

He said: "They've picked up bin bags for the last 100 years and it hasn't bothered them.

"Why are they suddenly worrying about it?"

Pensioner Valerie Godwin, 66, of Emsworth, said she struggled to cope with extra rubbish over Christmas last year and had been delighted with the council's decision.

"The binmen always carried black sacks before. Our country has gone totally neurotic about so- called health and safety."

John Fyall, 34, lives in neighbouring Portsmouth, where the binmen pick up bin bags and throw them in the back of the lorry.

He said: "It's a disgrace. Binmen are meant to collect rubbish. That's their job, so why don't they just get on with it?"

Pat Sutton, from Havant Residents' Association, said: "I don't know why they take the job. They are a load of sissies.

"The dustmen in the old days would take anything.

"It's absolutely ludicrous."

But refuse collector Paul Gissing, union representative for Havant's binmen, insisted there are serious health and safety concerns.

He said accidents and injuries have dropped by 40 per cent since the bin bag system was scrapped and wheelie bins were brought in.

Mr Gissing said: "We've had people that have been stuck with needles. We've had people who have cut their hands.

"We have had people waiting on the outcome of an Aids test.

"There have been claims against the council."

He said at any other time of the year workers are disciplined if they break the council's rules by taking away bin bags.

Havant councillor Terry Hart is supporting the dustmen.

"If you say this is the safe way of working and then ask them to ignore the rules for two weeks you are going against your duty of care," he said.

"If one of them was injured I think they would have a good case for suing the council."