Councillor Martynas Cekavicius, Havering's Cabinet Member for Public Realm, said:
"Havering Council is extremely disappointed that industrial action by Unite, involving FCC waste collection staff, has gone ahead this week.
"This was an unprecedented situation, and we apologise to any residents who have been affected.
"The Council’s position has been clear from the outset, and we have remained in close contact with both FCC and Unite throughout the week, encouraging them to reach a negotiated settlement and avoid industrial action.
"We sincerely hope that a dispute of this nature will not arise again.
"We emphasise the importance of FCC and Unite continuing to work together constructively and maintaining open dialogue to prevent similar disputes from occurring in the future."