In a joint statement Retail NI CEO Glyn Roberts, and the Presidents of Portadown, Banbridge, and Lisburn Chambers, Adrian Farrell, Michael Donaghy and Katrina Collins said: “It is not for us to take sides in any industrial dispute, but it is our responsibility to point out the damage that this strike is doing to our respective members’  businesses and our town centres.

“Overflowing bins and rubbish on our streets are the very last things our members, consumers and high streets need as we face the most serious economic challenge in a generation.

“We would urge the Councils and Trade Unions to go the extra mile to secure an agreement as this situation cannot continue any longer.

“Hopefully then any secured deal could be replicated throughout all Council areas in Northern Ireland to prevent any further disruption.”

Workers, including bin refuse collectors, have been on strike for over two weeks in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) council area.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council staff are due to join strike action after a ‘breakdown’ in talks between unions and the council, with industrial action due to begin on Tuesday 6 September.

“We do this as a last resort and we genuinely want to find a resolution. If the council can come to us with a resolution that averts industrial action, we are more than willing to sit down, talk and try to reach a resolution,” said Unite Regional Officer, Kieran Ellison.

Three unions are joined in strike action, including Unite, GMB and NIPSA. They say ABC Council has not put forward an acceptable pay offer.

“The majority of our members have worked for the council for a very long time. They take great pride in the job that they do, so obviously to be in this situation is not nice but they realise they have to do it. At the end of the day, the public’s anger should be re-directed at the employer,” said GMB Regional Officer, Alan Perry.

The council says two cost of living payments have been offered, as well as an extra day’s holiday.

“Unions have yet to ballot their members on this offer. I know further discussions are taking place even tomorrow and out of that meeting I hope unions can take it to their members so that we can move towards ending this industrial action,” said ABC Council Alderman Mark Baxter.

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The agency’s figures revealed that vegetable oil prices hit a record high after rising by almost 10% in October, fuelled by disruptions to supplies, high commodity prices, factory closures and political tensions.

The FAO said its measure of cereal prices was up by more than 22% compared to a year earlier.

The price of wheat was one of the major reasons for this rise, up almost 40% in the last 12 months after major exporters including Canada, Russia and the US reported poor harvests.

“In the case of cereals, we’re facing a situation where one could say it’s climate change which is ultimately causing falling production,” Peter Batt, an agribusiness expert at Curtin Business School told the BBC.

“We’ve had pretty bad years [of harvests] in a lot of places.”

Vegetable oil

The FAO said its index of vegetable oil prices was pushed up by rises in the cost of palm, soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils.

Palm oil prices have risen after output from Malaysia was “subdued” due to ongoing shortages of migrant workers, the FAO said.

Mr Batt said: “The other problem that has emerged is getting the product out. For example, here in Australia we’ve had a lot of ships arrive to take the food away but we can’t get crew to come in because of Covid.”

Shipping disruptions are also pushing up milk prices, with the cost of dairy products rising by almost 16% over the last year.

Brigit Busicchia from Macquarie University said speculation on global markets is also contributing to price volatility: “Since the 1990s, the deregulation of commodity futures trading has made it possible for institutional investors to enter this market on a large scale.”

This is having a particular impact on countries which rely on food imports, she said.

“Expect countries like Egypt or other Middle Eastern countries to experience tensions in their provisioning of cereals,” she said.

The post Global food prices hit new 10-year high: UN first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.