AN OXFORD company that recycles unwanted bikes is becoming a workers’ co-operative.

The 11 full-time and part-time staff at the Oxford Cycle Workshop in Magdalen Road will now receive equal pay and an equal say in decisions. The move follows last year’s buyout of the business by three staff.

Founder member Dan Harris explained: “We recycle bikes destined for landfill, refurbish them and sell them back to members of the public, providing an affordable green transport alternative for the city and drastically reducing waste in the county.

“As such, we’re a business that attracts staff with passion and loyalty from as far afield as Scotland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Becoming a co-operative means that everyone’s skills are appreciated and that everyone has a stake in the success of the business.”

The company collects old bikes from a drop-off point at the Redbridge Recycling Centre and will now also sell new, ethically-manufactured bikes made by Spanish co-operative Orbea.

Jonty Semper, who heads the training division, said they hoped to offer cycle maintenance workshops to groups of disadvantaged people such as young offenders and were looking for suitable premises.