With the tourist season about to move into full swing, the effect of the mad refuse situation on Brighton and Hove’s image and local economy could be disastrous.

The blame for this farce must be laid across the board.

Firstly, the Green administration of Brighton and Hove City Council has been shambolic.

I appreciate this is a party with little experience of government. Like the Lib Dems nationally, they have learned a hard lesson that government is different from opposition. The idea of running a local authority without a leader is a failure. To hand over negotiations to council officers in the rubbish dispute merely endorses this problem.

For Caroline Lucas, the Green Party’s only MP, to openly back strikers in her own constituency highlights the party’s problems.

The unions must take a fair share of responsibility, too.

The Argus has pointed out that some lower-paid council employees will be better off. The union has not mentioned this point. The union seems reluctant to admit that this country is in a state of austerity. Workers in the private sector have been forced to tighten their belts. When a Conservative-led administration is in power in Westminster, unions step up their militancy.

There was a time when dustbin collectors finished at lunchtime. This was unacceptable and, quite rightly, changed. The unions need to recognise that the taxpayer is the customer, not the servant. The tax payer has a right to value for money.

The opposition parties on the council appear to be gloating. These groups should unite on this issue. Together they would form a majority. They should propose that if this dispute is not settled quickly, they will support a motion calling for both sides to go to binding arbitration.

If this cannot be settled locally, an appeal should be made to Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for local government, asking for his department to intervene.

The public are entitled to better.

Richard J Szypulski, Lavender Street, Brighton

I believe many people in Brighton and Hove cannot understand the actions of our council.

Both my husband and I feel our refuse collectors have been very unfairly treated.

I gave the following comments to the council via a question form (form points in italics) on its website:

What is your complaint, comment or compliment?

The refuse collectors and street cleaners of Brighton and Hove are second to none. They are industrious, helpful, polite and are valued by the majority of people.

The treatment they are receiving from this council is shameful.

I suggest that all members of the council spend two weeks doing their job at the salary they receive.

If reports in The Argus are correct, it appears that a significant number of our councillors are also supporting our refuse collectors.

What action do you think the council should take?

Try to balance your budget by cutting the pay of the top executives of the council and by each councillor voluntarily passing on part of their allowances to help bridge the gap. The city could function without some councillors. It cannot function without our refuse collectors.

Below this box is a paragraph headed Treating people fairly.

Do you really think the council is treating refuse collectors fairly?

Ann Turner, Elvin Crescent, Rottingdean