Nearly a third of Tamworth’s refuse and recycling workers are being axed in cutbacks which will badly hit the collection service for thousands of householders, unions say.

Waste management group Veolia has announced a formal 30-day consultation process on the latest proposed redundancies of manual workers in the Staffordshire town.

Veolia are currently contracted to provide refuse/recycling services for Tamworth Borough Council but the service is to be brought back in-house next year. But Mohammed Khalik, Tamworth-based full-time official for the GMB union, said: “There have already been substantial redundancies at the end of June and this further round will result in a reduction of approximately a third of frontline workers.

“This is obviously devastating news for our members who provide an essential service for the residents of Tamworth. It is all the more disappointing when you consider that there is a proposal to bring the service back in-house next year. I do not believe for an instant that a reduction of 30 per cent of the frontline staff will not have a major impact on the service provided to residents.”

He said 10 workers had already been made redundant at the end of June and Veolia had now confirmed that a further three jobs were being lost: “It is of major concern that a third of the total workforce in the department will go in such a short period of time.

“There will be no voluntary redundancies here, these are all compulsory job losses.”

Mr Khalik said the council’s recycling service would be particularly badly hit.

Tony Goodwin, Tamworth Council’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: “The issue of redundancies relates to a decision taken by the council’s refuse and recycling contractor, Veolia, and not the council. Any future changes to the refuse and recycling service in Tamworth will seek to reflect the views of residents.”