You people who seem to think the council's bin men can do no wrong (do any of you work for them, perchance?) and that it is somehow a virtue to start work in the early hours and knock off at lunchtime.......................................... you've not really read properly what people are complaining about here, have you?

So, 27-29 degrees overnight in my house, even with windows open. So when the binmen came round at 5am my daughter was woken, and has been awake since. I have an exciting new phone that includes a camera, so I have a nice photo timestamped 5:11am this morning. The lorry came round later, at 6:30am, still before their official start time of 7am.

Does anybody know to whom I should send my photo, or failing that the home phone number of the head of refuse collection, so that I can phone him and wake up his/her family at 5am twice a week?

How frustrating - I can't believe they need to strat so early - would be interested to know why they do. Don't know who you'd send it to tho.

Having been in hospital from about 3am the night before I was also looking forward to catching up on some restful sleep last night...sadly not though thanks to the phantom 0500 recycling man.

The council have stopped short of calling me a liar but have denied it when I've said the binmen have started work well before 6. They've never been as early as 5.11am - that's disgraceful. I'd love to know what time they knock off.

I complained via their website, and did get a response. The staff at Wearside Road are helpful but seem to have terrible trouble controlling what the crews do.

This thread bump is a timely reminder to put my earplugs in tonight.

I have emailed them with the 5.11am photo and copied in one of my local councillors. I will share any email response I get with the forum.

I won't need earplugs until next Monday when it all starts again.

What area of FH is this occurring in. Our recycling officers (Note the grand title) dont come around until 7.30am

I don't think the staff at Wearside Road have any real control over the workforce, who are employed by a private contractor. It's only when the contract comes up for re-tendering (once every three years?) that the contractor is likely to pay any attention to what the Council or local residents feel about the service.

I doubt whether the binmen are starting work earlier simply in order that they they can go home earlier. It's more likely that they just have to get more done with fewer staff and the only way to do that is to start early. Or that much of their pay is tied-up in a bonus scheme and the only way to earn a decent wage is to start work at 5.00am. One of the many problems associated with contracting-out is that, over time, corners are cut and standards drop because each new contractor has to undercut the previous one to get the job in the first place.

I have every sympathy for the binmen who do a dirty and unpleasant job, in all weathers, working unsocial hours and for relatively low wages. In the circumstances, it's hardly surprising that they do a poor job but let's not kid ourselves otherwise. Credit where it's due; in my experience they really good at emptying the bins. Now, if they'd just take the rubbish away with them....

"I don't think the staff at Wearside Road have any real control over the workforce, who are employed by a private contractor"

That’s not the case. Lewisham is one of the very few London Boroughs to keep the refuse and recycling in house. Most have now gone over to French owned Veolia

But you are correct when you say more work is being squeezed out of them. People leave and are not replaced, the work is just absorbed by existing staff. I will stop there as I have managed to upset a forum member over this matter already.

I also was under the impression that Lewisham's refuse collection was done by direct labour rather than contractors.

I don't think any of us on here underestimate what a difficult and dirty job bin collection is (at least I hope not, anyway).

It's just that when, I would estimate, the average time to get up is about 7, being woken at 5.30ish is really unacceptable. I don't have kids myself but can appreciate that the interruption of precious sleep for parents must be pretty nightmarish.

How was it for you Michael?

Not sure if it is a coincidence but last week the recycling scout came a bit later (05:50) and today later still (06:00)

Veolia pub bin collection arrives at 4.30 every Monday in Dartmouth Road.

Spoke to the staff from wearside road last weekend at Lewisham peoples day. I have been advised that the manager will look into this problem, but i did notice that the bin-men didnt come round till after 7.30 this week, it was lovely to have a peaceful night!! I wonder who/where they woke up this week.

The more people who complain about an unacceptably early start, the better.

SElady, 4.30 is terrible!

OMG!!! I overslept this morning!! the bin-men didnt come round till 7.50!!

When I worked in Wearside depot I was told that we could not start before 7.00a.m..

From Lewisham's website (Noise Pollution Team):

"For building works with noisy machinery, you or your contractor must not work:
before 8am or after 6pm, Mondays to Fridays
before 8am or after 1pm on Saturdays
on Sundays or bank holidays"

OK, I know it says 'building works', but why should the council be exempt from its own rules?

I actually took up with them the issue of noisy machinery before 8am and their reply (verbatim) was: 'This does not apply to refuse collectors, not being construction workers'.

Got my earplugs at the ready for tomorrow.

Seems like all the hasselling of the council has resulted in bin men now not coming till about 8am.