Worthing refuse collectors offered pay rise

Adur and Worthing Councils said it has been looking at the issue since October, working with refuse, recycling and cleansing staff and UNISON 'to ensure our teams get a fair deal'.

The process began months prior to an approach from another union — GMB — which has threatened a bin strike across Adur and Worthing.

The GMB union said its members working in the domestic refuse, recycling and street-cleaning service would begin industrial action on Monday, March 14.

In the meantime, the first phase of the council review has now been completed.

A spokesperson said: "Although base pay was already comparable to that of other local authorities, the review recommends that every one of the jobs looked at should be moved up a grade on the councils’ pay band scale or paid a market supplement of £2,000 a year for at least two years.

"The changes reflect additional responsibilities, the need for more flexible working, and in the case of market supplements the recruitment challenges for specialist roles."

Each member of staff who is being 're-graded' will move to their new band, which includes a pay rise, on March 2, the council said.

They will then get further pay rises on September 1 this year and then on April 1 2023 — worth a total of at least 6 per cent.

"These increases are separate to a cost-of-living salary increase which is currently being negotiated nationally for council staff," the council said.

"Of the 109 posts in the councils’ refuse, recycling and cleansing department that have been reviewed, 65 will be moved up a grade and a further 40 will get an annual market supplement of £2,000 until at least October 2023 — the equivalent of a pay rise of at least 8.1 per cent."

Four more will get both an annual market supplement of £2,000 until at least October 2023 and be moved up a grade.

The council said it was grateful to staff and UNISON — 'the recognised union' — for helping to carry out this review, which will lead to 'substantial pay rises' for frontline teams over the next year.

“We hope they and the unions will continue to share their ideas for how we can make the service better both for them and residents.”

Adur & Worthing Councils’ review is continuing, including work to rebalance refuse and recycling rounds to deal with the demands of new housing.

Staff are being offered the opportunity to gain an HGV driving qualification while there will also continue to be discussions about ways to improve the working environment.

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