Brighton a bomb site as second bin strike looms

A seven-day bin strike in Brighton and Hove which has left the city looking like a bomb site – according to tradeunions -is due to end today (June 20).

However, refuse and recycling workers are planning a second wave of action next week in an ongoing dispute with Brighton & Hove city council over pay. A meeting is scheduled this afternoon to see if this can be averted.

The industrial action is being spearheaded by the GMB union which represents 270 Cityclean workers employed by the council to carry out domestic refuse and recycling collections as well as street cleansing.

Workers have been striking since last Friday (June 14) during which time no waste collections have taken place and waste has been piling up throughout the city. Residents have been advised, where possible, to take their waste to one of the citys two recycling centres.

The dispute began in January when Brightons Green and Conservative councillors authorised council officers to implement a modernised pay and conditions package for workers. This led to a final offer being made in April which the GMB claimed included cuts of up to 4,000 a head from some of the councils lowest paid employees.

During the strike action this week, the GMB alerted the council of their plans for a second strike to run from Monday to Friday next week (June 24-28) which will only affect all refuse and recycling drivers. However this is expected to be equally disruptive to service delivery.

Talks took place to try and reach a resolution on Monday and Tuesday this week and a further meeting is scheduled for later today.

Mark Turner, GMB branch secretary, said: The strike next week is still on the table. We are back in negotiations with the council at 1.30pm today. Today the council may or may not have a proposal to put to us.

‘Bomb site’

Commenting on the impact of the strike, Mr Turner said: It is a bomb site. Waste is piling up on the streets, especially in the city centre as the council operates a communal bin service for domestic flats and communal properties which are ordinarily emptied several times a week but are now not being emptied at all.

A spokeswoman for Brighton & Hove city council told letsrecycle.com: Discussions are ongoing. You have to give seven days notice before any strike and they did on Monday. But it is positive in that they are around the table.

There is a history of industrial action among refuse workers in Brighton, with a previous strike held in 2009 and industrial action also taken by workers when they worked for previous contractor SITA UK before the service was taken in-house (see letsrecycle.com story).

‘Mess’

Commenting on the latest strikes, Brighton & Hove city council chief executive Penny Thompson said: “We are working hard with our unions to reach an agreed settlement. Discussions are continuing. I am sorry we are in this situation, as a resident I am well aware of the disruption and mess across the city.

The proposals weve put forward are intended to achieve a fair and consistent scheme for staff across the council. Many staff will gain from these proposals and we are continuing to seek to reduce any losses some will suffer. Where there is a loss a compensation package is in place.

This is an historical issue which needs to be resolved. Nevertheless Im sorry for the disruption that the strike is causing.”