Adur and Worthing bin strike continues into second day - 'We are extremely concerned'

Members of the GMB union followed through with a threat to go on strike on Monday morning (March 14). The industrial action could last for at least two weeks.

Some members of the GMB union from the refuse, recycling and cleansing depot in Commerce Way, Lancing, are on strike again today (Tuesday, March 15). The 'large-scale disruption' means there will be no refuse, recycling, green waste, commercial waste or bulky item collections today.

Labour party groups in Adur and Worthing have called for action to be taken to bring the strike to an end.

A joint-statement read: "The Adur and Worthing Labour Groups value all our council staff.

"We are extremely concerned that our essential waste collection staff have had to strike in order to make their voices heard in our council.

"We are fully supportive of our staff taking action but think that it could have been avoided through regular and constructive communication by the current Conservative administration with staff and their chosen unions. Our local residents now face weeks without a bin collection service."

HGV drivers in Worthing were offered a permanent £2,700 increase to their pay. However, this agreement was made with UNISON — the 'recognised union at the councils'.

The councils called on staff to 'reconsider plans' to leave bins uncollected until Sunday, March 27, inclusive.

However, GMB went ahead with the strike and has now called for the council to 'stop obsessing and start addressing'.

Mark Turner GMB B50 Branch secretary said: "The obsession to other campaigns GMB has run across the southeast is unhealthy and not helping or ever going to help with settling any dispute Adur and Worthing find themselves involved in.

"Why would it?

"We have tried to clear up any confusion in that GMB members and their own council staff are taking strike action not the GMB itself and the council need to remember it’s happening following two ballots one consultative and the other a formal and legally compliant independently run industrial action ballot, along with plenty of warnings during those processes over five weeks that without formal negotiations a strike was bound to happen.

"Our members are clear that a deal with and by a union that doesn’t represent them is unacceptable and imposing it and constantly seeking to convince staff it’s an all singing, and dancing pay deal will not change the distrust council staff now feel about senior management who seek to do so."

Gary Palmer, GMB regional organiser, said a 'legal and formal' dispute is ongoing and invited the council to negotiate 'if they really wish to settle what could be a long dispute'. A further two weeks’ notice has now been added to the first and current notice of 14 days which commenced on Monday.

Mr Palmer added: "Hate the idea or not, eventually council officers will need to meet GMB around a formal table to discuss solutions if they want to end strikes, unfortunately though until then we can do nothing but continue with the industrial action now up to four weeks of walk outs and wait for the council to see sense and request it."

The GMB Union said 'substantive issues' around pay will remain, 'along with the consequences', until an agreement is reached.

They said the staff intend to remain on strike 'until their voice is heard through the union of their choice' and formal negotiations commence on a deal, they feel 'accurately reflects their pay wants and needs'.

"Because despite how good the council feel the current offer is, this strike will go on until they do," the GMB said.

Adur & Worthing Councils told residents on Monday that anyone who put their bins out for collection to 'please put them back where you normally store them'.

"Our street cleansing teams are out working this morning [Tuesday]," a councils spokesperson said.

"They are out and about emptying litter bins, dog bins, collecting litter from around Adur and Worthing and cleaning in our town centres.

"Our clinical waste collection service is also continuing as normal.

"We're grateful for the work all of our teams are doing during the strike.

"We are continuing to ask the GMB representatives to tell us what their members want but they are refusing to do so."

The Adur and Worthing Labour Groups said that the issues that the staff have raised in regard to their working conditions and remuneration 'now need to be discussed fully' between the council and the unions, allowing for negotiations to be undertaken and a settlement to be agreed 'as soon as possible'.

They added: "We are aware that these staff members worked tirelessly during the pandemic, and indeed we stood on our doorsteps and clapped for them, so now we need to ensure that they have the highest level of working conditions that it is possible for us to provide.

"A 6 per cent rise spread over a number of years whilst inflation is due to be hitting 7 per cent and upwards isn't the reward they were looking for.

"This principle applies to all of our public sector key workers. The National Conservative Government has slashed our council budget relentlessly over the past decade, but the budget that we do have needs to be invested in our front line services and staff to best effect, ensuring that we value our staff and provide an excellent service to our residents."

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