Mont Cuet tip reopened yesterday.
STATES manual workers returned to work yesterday and Guernsey quickly got back to normal in the wake of Monday’s strike. Refuse collectors and road sweepers worked in double teams and started earlier than usual to restore St Peter Port to normality before most islanders had got out of bed.
All hospital, Dairy, harbour and airport workers who had taken part in the unofficial walkout also returned to work. States Works general manager Nigel Dorey said employees had tried to make sure the island was back to its usual level of tidiness as soon as possible.
‘The main reason that we had a backlog was down to the St Peter Port refuse round and the Town area in general,’ he said. ‘Public toilets were also in a right mess because they had not been cleaned in 24 hours.’ Mr Dorey thanked the public for their understanding about the situation.
‘I did not receive any complaints yesterday, so people were very patient.’
There were concerns that cesspits could have overflowed because many hotels have theirs emptied daily.
But Mr Dorey said no incidents had been reported.
‘We had no problems with any cesspits, which was a lucky escape,’ he said.
Airport director Colin Le Ray said there had been no delays yesterday as a result of the action on Monday.
The airport was closed twice because firefighters walked out.
‘Activity is getting back to normal,’ he said. ‘We wait with interest the outcome of further discussions and hope that no action will be considered necessary by public service employees, but it’s out of our hands.’
Harbour master Captain Peter Gill said that, apart from a slight change in the Goodwill’s schedule, all was back to normal.
‘I think everybody acted in a responsible manner,’ he said. ‘Workers came in as usual this morning.’
A spokesman for HSSD confirmed that all of its services were back to normal and that staff involved in the action were back at work yesterday.
‘The closure of the hospital’s incinerator yesterday meant that clinical waste could not be collected from nursing homes and private residences, but staff are working through the backlog today and collections should be back on schedule soon,’ he said.
Article posted on 23rd July, 2008 - 2.29pm
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