Planned bin strike in Wealden postponed by GMB Union members
Refuse workers in Wealden are not happy with pay and conditions
Last updated 22nd Apr 2022
Planned strike action for Monday 25th April by refuse workers in Wealden has been halted, according to the GMB Union which represents its workers.
It comes following a pay talk meeting with Wealden District Council yesterday (Thursday 21st April) where an offer was made by the East Sussex Joint Waste Partnership service provider, Biffa.
Bosses at GMB Southern say the offer is "well short of member's expectations" but "felt it was right to pause action while its members consider it.
Members will meet on Monday at both the operator's Amberstone and Bellbrook depots in Hailsham and Uckfield.
GMB Members put forward a pay claim based on both seeking a pay rate that gave them a chance at getting on top of the rising cost of living increases and, as a result, recognising their own real and true worth.
GMB Members are looking for an uplift to:
Loaders £12.50 per hr
LGV Drivers£14.50 per hr
HGV Drivers £17.50 per hr
Mark Turner GMB B50 Branch Secretary said: "Our first face to face meeting today with Biffa Management, which was only 2 working days before strike action was due to commence resulted in that management team making it very clear to us that their first offer was also going to be their last offer.
"Although very disappointing, how pay talks have concluded almost immediately after commencing our way of working on behalf of members during a dispute is always to insist members make all the decisions on any company offer as and when they are made.
"Therefore, we will rightly be putting the company’s offer to members at site meetings on Monday Morning and acting upon the outcome of that ballot.
"Just a thought though, but Perhaps Wealden District Council might like to consider contacting their political counterparts at Adur & Worthing to understand the cost of looking the other way while refusing to negotiate with GMB meaningfully on behalf of our members as waste services threaten to grind to a halt, seeing rubbish pile up across the Wealden district."
Gary Palmer GMB regional organiser said: "To be clear Biffa’s offer is well short of our members' expectations for sure, but we still felt it right to pause strike action whilst our members consider it.
"At the same time though, we will also issue a further week of strike dates to follow on from the still planned walk out on May 2nd as the first phase of industrial action planned should Biffa stick with an insistence that this offer is the final offer.
"Obviously coming off the back of the Adur & Worthing month-long dispute it should be clear that the GMB union will back our members all the way if they need to undertake long term strike action to get what they deserve.
"Of course, the GMB Union despite Biffa’s closing down of negotiations will remain available should they wish to come back to the table if their opening and closing offer is rejected by our members and strike action kicks off."