As secretary of the union branch that represents most of the refuse workers working for Bury MBC, might I say that I agree with Ms Nicole Haydock of the Bury Green Party (Bury Times October 6, 2011) that it is desirable that Bury should improve its recycling results.

But in the achievement of this goal we must be careful not to confuse the council’s desperate aim to save money with our overall concern for the protection of the environment.

At a meeting last summer of management and staff at Bradley Fold Waste Depot, when I raised the recommendation of Friends of the Earth that smelly waste ought to be collected weekly, it was dismissed by the spokesman for management who said that Friends of the Earth is just another lobby group.

When management at Bury MBC describe Friends of the Earth — perhaps the most distinguished environmental body in the country — as just another lobby group, it makes one wonder if they are really sincere about improving the environment and don’t have some other agenda.

Brian Bamford Secretary of Bury Unite