VOTE: Are Arun binmen right to strike?

GMB members who make up the majority of the Verdant refuse collectors voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action up to and including a strike, paving the way for a second, private ballot to take place in the next few weeks.

Andrew Bruton, senior GMB rep at Verdant’s Harwood Road, Littlehampton, yard, where the refuse team is based, said a strike was “almost inevitable” after talks between the two sides broke down at the beginning of last month.

Union members, he said, were very angry that Verdant wanted to change their conditions, and particularly payments for bank holiday working.

Verdant, which has six years remaining of a 15-year contract for Arun District Council’s refuse collection and street cleansing, was taken over earlier this year by Biffa.

Mr Bruton said employees were assured that there would be no changes to their pay and conditions, but since the takeover, local management at Harwood Road had been trying to change the agreement between the union and the company.

Mr Bruton said his members would lose about a day’s pay for each bank holiday they worked if the changes were introduced.

Altering the agreement would also affect “pool” workers who would see their hours reduced.

A spokesman for the company said: “Managers at Verdant (now known as Biffa Municipal), which operates Arun’s recycling, refuse and street cleansing service, have not been notified formally of threatened industrial action.

“The company continues to try and arrange a meeting with GMB union representatives to discuss possible changes in local working agreements.

“Managers hope that the lengthy positive relationship between management and staff at Arun will result in a swift and positive outcome.”

A spokeswoman for Arun said: ““Arun District Council has consulted with the local Verdant contract services manager and neither us nor Verdant are aware of any threatened industrial action.

“Should there be any actual or threatened disruption to services, for whatever reason, then our contract conditions require Verdant to take action to minimise that disruption to protect the services they provide for us in our contract.”

To have your say on the potential strike click on the poll at the top right of this story.

Alternatively, email your views to [email protected]

To read the full story buy your copy of the Littlehampton Gazette out today (Thursday, May 12).