UNION bosses have warned that things can “only get worse” following strike action yesterday.

Cityclean workers took to the picket line as part of a long running dispute over pay grading with Brighton and Hove City Council.

Work was suspended from midnight to 11am with GMB members taking to the picket line at their Hollingdean depot with banners and flags.

Union members want Cityclean’s 38 HGV lorry drivers put on a higher pay grade after six street cleaning staff were awarded the same money.

They argue the drivers should get extra money because of their extra responsibilities.

Speaking after yesterday’s action, Mark Turner, GMB branch secretary, said he could not “rule in or rule out” more strikes.

He said: “The work to rule is in place, that will continue. We hope we will not have to go further, for the benefit of residents and our members.”

“We gave the council an offer but they have not come back to us, it is disappointing. Yesterday need not have happened.

“In this case we are coming to the table and willing to negotiate but I can only see the situation getting worse and our members becoming more and more entrenched as this goes on.”

He added that the union had met city council head of the Labour group Warren Morgan and Conservative group leader Geoffrey Theobald.

He said he was “disappointed” not to have met with Green council leader Jason Kitcat.

Coun Kitcat said: “I met with Mark Turner from the GMB and with the drivers earlier in this dispute and a meeting was also held this week with my colleague coun Ollie Sykes as well as with council officers.

“As Mr Turner knows, my door is always open.”

Richard Bradley, the council’s head of Cityclean and Parks, said while workers returned in the afternoon there were still areas of the city where rubbish had not been collected.

He added: “We apologise to all residents who have been affected.

“We would ask those residents to leave their refuse out for collection and we will aim to clear the backlog as soon as possible.

“However all refuse and recycling driver charge-hands are still working to rule and it may take several days for the rubbish to be cleared.”