Bin strike continues in Adur and Worthing - 'It's just a waiting game'

Adur and Worthing Council said it has written to all of staff in the refuse, recycling and cleansing department today (Tuesday, March 22) to 'confirm exactly how much they will be paid' after the salary increases that followed a review of their pay and conditions.

"We are continuing to work around the clock to try to resolve the dispute and are hopeful GMB representatives will speak to us about their members’ issues," the council said.

"The pay deal offered by the councils is already superior to that agreed with unions at other local authorities in Sussex — with HGV drivers getting at least an 11.7 per cent pay rise.

"Our street cleansing and clinical waste collection services are continuing as normal this morning but unfortunately there will again be no refuse, recycling, green waste, commercial waste or bulky item collections today."

GMB Union, meanwhile, said it 'remains hopeful' that a meeting with senior council officers 'might still go ahead' this week.

The union said it plans to 'explore formal options and issues' which are 'preventing the council negotiating a resolution'.

"The meeting if successful could potentially lead to the first formal time both the GMB and the council sit down to negotiate a pay deal resolution for the majority of workers within the city’s waste and recycling services," the union said.

The union reiterated that the strike, otherwise, could last for as long as four weeks, after further strike notices were issued 'because of local managements actions around the picket line'.

Mark Turner, GMB B50 branch secretary, added: "A strike which will continue until the chief executive and the council's senior management team sit down to formal negotiations on our members pay.

"If it means though that initially we will need to meet to work out how those formal meetings will look and take place then that’s fine, or it would be if we can just tie the council down to confirm when these meetings will commence.

"The council need to respect like it or not, that their staff at the Lancing Commercial Road depot have chosen GMB to represent their views and battle for a pay rise that really values their pay expectations and true worth. "

Gary Palmer, GMB regional organiser, claimed that the union has provided 'various dates this week we could meet', adding: "I guess it's just a waiting game until the council get back to us.

"So, at this time it means residents' bins will continued to be unemptied until April 9, at least for the moment if no further GMB notices are issued to extend the strike further.

"It’s simple our members and their own staff, are urging the council to work through any issues they have quickly about the GMB union and to get around the table and thrash out a deal which will see the strike end and our members getting the pay they so richly deserve, it's up to them as GMB can do no more on our own."

Click here to read more about the bin strike, and why it is happening.

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