Eastbourne binmen were seeking fair pay and conditions

I am afraid that Mr Parkeur’s letter, which claims that the striking refuse workers were politically motivated is, if you pardon the pun, utter rubbish A political motive for Eastbourne’s bin strikes?.

As I understand it, the local Labour Party were in support of the bin men, as they are of any workers that are paid poverty wages and suffer poor working conditions.

The Lib Dem council quoted percentages in their press releases about the dispute as this can give the impression that the bin men are asking for a huge increase.

However, the three per cent increase that they were offering the loaders would take them up to £9.30 per hour.

This is less than the new minimum wage figure of £9.50 that the council will be legally obliged to pay them in April.

The GMB were also asking for a shower for the refuse workers rather than them having to hose themselves down in the car park at the end of a shift, as they presently do.

As for his assertion that the strike was Hampden Park-based, again this is not true as it is an Eastbourne-wide dispute.

Mr Parkeur’s blatant attempt to drum up support for the Lib Dems in Hampden Park may well backfire as I think most fair -minded residents, in Hampden Park and elsewhere, value the people who provide their public services and want to see them treated with respect.