"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.