Adur & Worthing 'next in line for bin strike' says GMB Union
It follows similar action taken in Brighton and Eastbourne
Following successful campaigns in Brighton and Eastbourne, refuse workers in Adur and Worthing have voted to take strike action over pay.
A consultative ballot from the GMB Union closed this morning, with 92.5% of union members voting in favour of taking industrial action.
The Union is now set to formally ballot members.
Mark Turner, GMB B50 Branch Secretary said: 'GMB has tried to speak to management at Adur and Worthing Council, but the message has been received loud and clear that they are not prepared to negotiate.
'Given what has happened up the road in Brighton and Eastbourne, you would have thought the council might want to nip this dispute in the bud.
'If they don’t receive a pay offer reflecting the value of their work, our members are very clear they will go on strike.
'We would apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused to the public by unemptied bins.
'We’ve tried to reach out to the council to no avail and it now appears action is inevitable. Any blame should now be directed at Adur and Worthing.
'Any resident unhappy at the prospect of rubbish piling up in the streets can contact their local councillor and ask them to lobby management to get back around the negotiating table.'
A statement from Adur & Worthing Councils last week said: ‘We welcomed the opportunity to discuss with the GMB their issues surrounding our waste and recycling services because we are committed to a thorough review of operations post pandemic and into the future. This review began in October and is ongoing. All views are welcome
‘We were unable to ascertain much detail as to the exact nature of the complaints but we were pleased that, in almost all cases, the headline issues GMB representatives raised are already within the scope of the review we are conducting at present.
‘It is important to point out that the GMB is not the recognised union within the service. This is UNISON and we are in full dialogue with their representatives concerning the review and have committed to reporting back on many concerns surrounding terms and conditions by the end of February. This has already seen an uplift in HGV drivers’ rates of pay in recognition of current market conditions and the need to deliver a first class service.
‘The Councils are rightly proud of the service provided by our teams and crews who during the pandemic did not miss a collection. It is our hope that we can conduct this review in a spirit of cooperation, finding as many solutions as possible to reflect the hard work of our staff but also protect the excellent service they provide to residents.’