Wirral Council has shut down part of its website which allows residents to report missed bin collections after it was flooded with thousands of complaints.
More than 2,500 reports of missed bin collections were submitted to the authority before it removed the option "due to unprecedented demand" after refuse workers employed by waste management company Biffa went on strike from December 5 to 10.
Collections of general waste bins resumed on December 12, with recycling bins due to be collected this week in-line with the usual schedule. However, icy conditions on some roads led to some households being missed.
READ MORE: Biffa strikes and icy weather wreak havoc on bin collections
Now residents face a further two weeks of cancellations, as more than 200 Biffa employees have announced further strike action from December 28 to 30, and January 3 to 6, and January 16 to 21 after their demands for higher pay were not met.
This will coincide another round of strike action involving 180 workers from Veolia, the organisation contracted by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority, from December 28 to 31, Janaury 2 to 7, and January 15 to 21.
Joanne Nicholls-Bennett, who lives in Greasby, said she had not had a recycling bin collection since November 23.
She said: "This week was supposed to be our first grey bin collection in a month, but due to the bad weather they've been behind on their round. Bins were supposed to be collected on Wednesday, and it's Friday and it's not collected yet. I know they're going on strike again, so today is our last chance. Then it's another two weeks - and the recycling centres will be closed too.
"Yesterday I went down to the tip, taking all my non-recyclable rubbish in advance of the strike. If they don't collect by grey bin today, I'm going to have to take all my recycling as well.
"I support the strike action, they've got every right. But my issue is with Wirral Council and the lack of communication. If Wirral Council could just say they aren't going to get round to our roads, people could put plans in place and get to the recycling centres while they're still open."
A Wirral Council spokesman said: "Due to unprecedented demand - more than 2,500 reports of missed bins submitted through the council website to Biffa - we are unable to take any further reports of missed wheelie bins and bulk bins. This facility has now been switched off from the council website. The facility to report issues with any other services that will be impacted by the industrial action will also be removed from the council website for the duration of the dispute."
Hundreds of residents posted their complaints to the Wirral Council Facebook page - with some threatening to withhold council tax payments if the overflowing bins were not addressed.
Lyndsey Speed said: "My grey bin will be going out AGAIN on Friday (4 weeks since last emptied!) So will be sat right next to my Green bin which is full to the brim or rubbish! I will not be taking my rubbish to the local tip as I do not want it in the back of my car, so any additional bin bags will be dumped on the pavement next to my overflowing wheelie bins! Not ideal but not my problem! If my bins aren't emptied on Friday then I will be withholding my council tax payment this month!"
Kelle Galloway said: "The funds that residents have paid for collection within council tax for the dates missed so far - can the council not use that and pay private waste removal and top up any gap in money with a contingency fund that should be in place for unexpected events. Logically council shouldn’t have to pay Biffa for a service which isn’t being met. Biffa should be paying their staff fairly but that’s a totally different topic."
Wirral Council responded: "Like many councils, we outsource waste management to an expert provider and Biffa are our current partner. But they are an entirely separate company and this industrial action is between them and their staff. Legally, even if we had some way of effectively filling in for them during the industrial action - we couldn’t do it. So we are still urging all parties to find a solution - quickly."
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