News RSS Feed Send your news, pictures & videos


UPDATED: Binmen vote to strike in Brighton and Hove

4:22pm Thursday 29th October 2009 in News By Andy Chiles

Refuse workers will stage a week-long walkout which will leave rubbish piled up across Brighton and Hove.

Hundreds of thousands of bin bags will be left uncollected as the entire workforce at the city council’s waste department goes on strike from Monday, November 9, to Sunday, November 15. No refuse will be picked up from any of the city’s 120,000 households.

The GMB union announced the industrial action yesterday after a ballot of members showed they were overwhelmingly in favour. Of the 76% who responded to a postal vote, 94% supported the walkout.

The action follows months of unsuccessful talks between the union and the council, which wants to make about 800 workers take pay cuts of up to £8,000 each to address equality issues.

The GMB said the council now had a week to come back with a better offer if it wanted to stop the strikes. It warned further action involving more staff was likely to follow.

GMB branch secretary Mark Turner said: “Our membership is determined to protect the terms and conditions of their employment and those of others within the council.”

The 300 CityClean binmen, street cleaners and mechanics will start their industrial action with a period of work to rule from November 5 before walking out the following Monday.

Related links

Among them will be Osei Frimpong, the street sweeper named public servant of the year by the council at a ceremony last month.

The strike will coincide with Remembrance Day events on Wednesday, November 11, and Sunday, November 15.

The council has proposed the cuts to address a long-standing issue because some unskilled workers receive higher pay than others in different departments.

CityClean staff believe their wages will be cut from the current rates, which average £19,000 a year, to be equivalent to teaching assistants, who earn less than £15,000. Leaked documents revealed they would be sacked if they did not accept the deal.

A second trade union, Unison, is involved in the pay dispute with the council on behalf of 3,500 members. It remains in talks but warned it too could move to industrial action which could close schools, libraries and other services.

It emerged yesterday the leaders of the opposition Labour and Green parties at the council held emergency meetings with union representatives in a bid to defuse the situation.

Labour’s Gill Mitchell and Green convenor Bill Randall will meet new council chief executive John Barradell today to propose solutions.

Mr Turner wants Mary Mears, the leader of the council’s Conservative cabinet, to become involved.

He said: “We’ve had meetings with Labour and the Greens which have been very positive for us. However, Mary Mears is not responding to emails or requests for a meeting.”

A spokesman said the council was disappointed about the GMB’s action.

He said: “There will, undoubtedly, be some disruption to collections over the days of the strike if it goes ahead. We ask for residents’ patience and remain hopeful we can resume talks with the GMB.”

Comments(85)

Forbes Coleman says...
4:51pm Thu 29 Oct 09

That's nice, isn't it.

They get a few days in the warm during their time off.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Darling2 says...
5:02pm Thu 29 Oct 09

And no pay. People dont enter strike action lightly you fool.

It's usually as a last resort to intransigent, incompetent managers. These are the same managers that had to pay the last CEO off ha;l a million pounds to keep his silence on their seedy little dealings.

Good luck to the bin men. Now the rest of the council workers need to come out as well.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

oldmarket says...
5:14pm Thu 29 Oct 09

Let's get a few facts first before rushing to judgment. The £8,000 figure has been bandied about a lot - it is true? How many will face that level of pay cut? On what level of income, after all allowances and overtime are taken into account? How much will they actually lose through striking, given that someone will have to clear up the mess afterwards on double or treble overtime? What's the alternative to a pay cut? Pay increases for everyone else? Who'd pay for that? By how much would Council Tax have to go up? Who brought in the legislation to create this mess? Why wasn't it sorted out years ago when we had a Labour, and presumably union-friendly, council administration? Will the union officials bringing people out on strike not take their salaries while the strike is on or are they just egging their people on because it's now a Tory council? Let's get all these questions and more answered before people take sides. If the Argus had an editor who wasn't so blatantly anti-Conservative, perhaps a bit of real reporting might happen.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

n01d says...
5:15pm Thu 29 Oct 09

Isn't it true that the binmen are overpaid? I heard they are all on 28k, 20 sounds more appropriate.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

yorkie44 says...
5:19pm Thu 29 Oct 09

Why doesn't the report include a comment from the council about this. All we read is the union's point of view. It will take weeks before we see a difference in the centre of the city because the streets are full of rubbish, A-Boards, bicycles on every railing and lamppost. The city is a disgrace.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Fight Back says...
5:19pm Thu 29 Oct 09

Can't say I'm surprised and have a lot of sympathy for them. The council have mishandled the affair from beginning to end - heads should roll !!!! Hang your heads in shame Mears, Theobald et al.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

davyboy says...
5:27pm Thu 29 Oct 09

Darling2 wrote:
And no pay. People dont enter strike action lightly you fool.

It's usually as a last resort to intransigent, incompetent managers. These are the same managers that had to pay the last CEO off ha;l a million pounds to keep his silence on their seedy little dealings.

Good luck to the bin men. Now the rest of the council workers need to come out as well.
fair point. no-one should have to put up with pay reductions, and the council should ensure that essential services are paid properly, and not allowed to get to this situation. if savings must be made, start at the top, and reduce the pay of top managers, not the workforce. strike pay will be about £50 p/w, if they are lucky.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jyan says...
5:50pm Thu 29 Oct 09

Just like the postal strike it's the public that will suffer most. I can't hardly wait for the increase in smell, vermin and litter all over town.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

sussex tiger says...
6:03pm Thu 29 Oct 09

if the council had not spent thousands on these black bins that have been dumped on street corners and on double yellow lines and are a hazzard with no lights on at nite why are the parking wardens not putting tickets on then and using the fines to pay are dustman a wage to live on if i park my car on yellow lines i get a ticket but a dustbin is excempt come on mary mears would you like one of these bins on your door step that smell after a few days yes i bet you dont

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

couldbeakiller says...
6:32pm Thu 29 Oct 09

sussex tiger wrote:
if the council had not spent thousands on these black bins that have been dumped on street corners and on double yellow lines and are a hazzard with no lights on at nite why are the parking wardens not putting tickets on then and using the fines to pay are dustman a wage to live on if i park my car on yellow lines i get a ticket but a dustbin is excempt come on mary mears would you like one of these bins on your door step that smell after a few days yes i bet you dont
Tiger.. if you are going to complain, at least try and use the spellcheck device on your computer. 'hazzard', 'nite', 'are dustmen' 'excempt' 'door step'. I wonder which school in Britain teaches its pupils such a high level of literacy???

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Variable says...
6:52pm Thu 29 Oct 09

couldbeakiller wrote:
sussex tiger wrote:
if the council had not spent thousands on these black bins that have been dumped on street corners and on double yellow lines and are a hazzard with no lights on at nite why are the parking wardens not putting tickets on then and using the fines to pay are dustman a wage to live on if i park my car on yellow lines i get a ticket but a dustbin is excempt come on mary mears would you like one of these bins on your door step that smell after a few days yes i bet you dont
Tiger.. if you are going to complain, at least try and use the spellcheck device on your computer. 'hazzard', 'nite', 'are dustmen' 'excempt' 'door step'. I wonder which school in Britain teaches its pupils such a high level of literacy???
I have to agree a bit here, even though I'm rarely a grammar nazi.
Tiger: If you are going to contribute to a debate, at least please try to use some punctuation. It makes it so much easier for people to understand what it is you are saying.
As for your point. Your car is a car. That's why it gets parking tickets when you leave it on yellow lines. A wheelie bin is not a car. it's a DUSTBIN. Duh!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Brighton Lad says...
7:43pm Thu 29 Oct 09

As a former council employee, I have every sympathy for the refuse workers and their families. No one should have to lose that amount of money and be expected to do the same work. The management have cut the staff on each round and increased the amount of work, and now this. Yes the city will be filthy and yes there will be black bags everywhere. But these men and women are being treated appallingly by the council, and its about time the management got a rocket up their backsides and stopped treating their employees like crap.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

JKW says...
9:55pm Thu 29 Oct 09

This is the same Refuse collectors who went on strike in 2004 because they were only earning £27,000 a year!, and the same lot who earn £280 for a day's work after every bank holiday as they deem there is extra rubbish left around the town and also the same lot who charge the council £10 each a week for taking their lunch in thir cabs.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

robsurmer says...
12:16am Fri 30 Oct 09

All I know is the drivers all need an eyesight test. They have demolished the wall in the bin area of our block of flats three times in the last year with their trucks which has now gone from annoying to infuriating, not because we have to pay for it but it is a major hazard to the elderly residents in my block. Frankly it shows the level of respect they have for their customers- they also always leave the place in a disgusting state. They should get a fair rate of pay but the average wage in Brighton is under £20,000p.a. what makes them worth more than the rest of us? Does anyone really know what they get? Some of the figures mentioned here are unbelievable!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

BrazCubas says...
7:25am Fri 30 Oct 09

The binmen in question are paid more than countless other council employees who work just as hard, often in jobs that, frankly, require a lot more skill. Experienced teaching assistants and countless others in B&H can only dream of £28k. Meanwhile, other council employees who may still be underpaid wait for their jobs and payscales to be reviewed (suspended until successful completion of single status) and continue to suffer. I have precisely no sympathy for these strikers whatsoever and hope the council continues to take a hard line. I wonder if there are any jobseekers out there who would appreciate the chance to collect people's rubbish for £20k a year?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

John Portslade says...
7:50am Fri 30 Oct 09

So, binmen are to go on strike for a week. Ah well! Not all bad then - the street will be cleaner!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

chrisg2000 says...
8:00am Fri 30 Oct 09

Good luck to the Binmen. No one should have to take a pay cut as vast as the one touted, especially in the current economic climate.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

tinkywinky says...
8:06am Fri 30 Oct 09

I remember the death throws of the last Labour government.
The country was bankrupt and rubbish was piled to the sky. Rats running everywhere.
Nothing's changed there then!
I support the dustman. How about getting rid of an army of pointless pen pushers and council leaders?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

salty_pete says...
8:16am Fri 30 Oct 09

It is well to remember that union friendly(!) Nu Labour enacted the Equality Legislation, that has resulred in this mess. The local council is really very limited in what it can pay it's staff now that it has to conform to this iniquitous law. This situation is just another example (if any more were needed) of just how bad Nu Labour are at government. The Union bosses should be banging on the doors of the ministers responsible to get this statute law amended or repealed. To engage in strikes at a local level will not cure this problem.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jbhove says...
8:29am Fri 30 Oct 09

I don't normally support strikes when the public is directly affected, but in this case, the binmen seem to have a very valid case for strike action. Whatever, I hope it's decided soon for the mutual benefit of all.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

cantmoveforbins says...
8:41am Fri 30 Oct 09

As a bin man, you would have to be a bit stupid not to see this stuff coming a mile off.
Did they not notice the reduction of work involved here over the last few years?
The introduction of wheelie bins? (apparently due to complaints of collectors about having to lift heavy dustbins (derr, like they've been doing for the last 50 years or more)).
The introduction of ghastly black communal bins that no longer even need someone to get out of the collection truck?
I wouldn't be surprised here if these pay cuts are a result of thier being to scared to actually make people redundant due to unions/ action of this size and nature.
Make a choice people. Lose a few colleagues or everyone take a hit. The world's changing - get a crash helmet and stop living in a cave.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

dpgsussex says...
9:43am Fri 30 Oct 09

These doctors currently earn more than I do, as a doctor!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

dpgsussex says...
9:44am Fri 30 Oct 09

These bin-men currently earn more than I do, as a doctor!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

cantmoveforbins says...
9:45am Fri 30 Oct 09

When I was 17 and I started my first job at the Co-Op insurance Co, I was asked if I wanted to join the union.
I said No.
When I was told that they do things like argue for better pay and conditions, I though " ..well if I don't like it I'll just leave and get something else".
These Unions appear to apply peer pressure to other workers/members who aren't interested in the dispute/action.
People should be regarding thier work/career as an individual, not as part of a collective - eternally stuck to thier employer like s**t to a blanket.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

miss_lad_pink says...
10:22am Fri 30 Oct 09

I earn less than 7k a year but i dont moan - very grateful right now to have job that ive been doing for the past 5 years with no extra bonuses or higher offers! Why do we need strikes set a sub wage and be done with it! everyone who has a job, is able to feed themselves and provide a roof over the heads should count their blessings! Strikes = BORING!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Strugg Lynn says...
10:27am Fri 30 Oct 09

When I heard of this from one of the many street cleaners I see every day on the way to work I got into a very bad mood. street cleaners are vital, particularly in a City where the evidence shows there is scant regard for our environment by some of the people who inhabit it. If the salary figures quoted by some of the posters are true, then these people earn more that I do. I sit behind a desk and accept that if my job wasn't done, society as a whole wouldn't suffer. Different story in respect of the people who clean up after us. However I wouldn't be happy to take a pay cut to make me equal with my colleagues - I'd rather them get a pay increase. On days that we don't get a service, council tax should be deducted from our bill and put towards a slush fund for the strikers who won't be paid during this dispute. This country stinks of disparity. Fat cats and Bankers are bleeding this country dry while we all have to tighten our belts, utilitiy companies are crooked whilst we all put on extra jumpers to keep warm and nothing is done, whilst at the same time councils such as ours target ordinary workers to reduce expenditure. IT STINKS.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

tonyinbrighton says...
10:41am Fri 30 Oct 09

No-one's in charge any more.....

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

davyboy says...
10:48am Fri 30 Oct 09

BrazCubas wrote:
The binmen in question are paid more than countless other council employees who work just as hard, often in jobs that, frankly, require a lot more skill. Experienced teaching assistants and countless others in B&H can only dream of £28k. Meanwhile, other council employees who may still be underpaid wait for their jobs and payscales to be reviewed (suspended until successful completion of single status) and continue to suffer. I have precisely no sympathy for these strikers whatsoever and hope the council continues to take a hard line. I wonder if there are any jobseekers out there who would appreciate the chance to collect people's rubbish for £20k a year?
teaching assistants are not out in the wet and cold at 6am picking up other people rubbish. on top of that they get about 13 weeks holiday a year(paid). binmen do a vital, dirty job and should be paid good money for doing it.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Nik Griffin says...
10:49am Fri 30 Oct 09

I don't believe in striking under any circumstances.
If you don't like the pay or conditions - leave and get another job.
If there aren't enough binmen, then the employer will have to increase the wage to attract more binmen. It's called market forces.
And lastly. In my opinion, based on what I see in my street and the surrounding streets, the binmen DO NOT do a good job. There's always rubbish littered up and down the street after they have been, and there isn't the rest of the time.
If they were a bit better at their job I might have just a little sympathy.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

johnywag says...
10:59am Fri 30 Oct 09

"This is the same Refuse collectors who went on strike in 2004 because they were only earning £27,000 a year!, and the same lot who earn £280 for a day's work after every bank holiday as they deem there is extra rubbish left around the town and also the same lot who charge the council £10 each a week for taking their lunch in thir cabs."

This is absolute nonsense JKW, The bin men are not paid £27,000 - 28,000 a year, If this were the case, then a pay cut of £8,000 may not seem so extreme but it simply isn't true. When people going throwing inacurate information like this around then other people get completely the wrong idea about what's going on.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

lozzz31 says...
11:05am Fri 30 Oct 09

The council are in a very difficult position. Yes, bin men do an incredibly useful, dangerous and dirty job and I'm sure we're all grateful for that. But does the job require a high level of skill and responsibility? Is it a role that requires more skill and responsibility than that of teaching assistants working in our schools and educating and looking after the welfare of our children? How easy is it to compare the two jobs?
The fact is that historically, bin men have been paid a much higher salary than teaching assistants who do have a very skilled and responsible job. Is that fair? Clearly the council can't increase the pay of the city's hundreds of teaching assistants - particularly in the current economic climate, and anyway - the teaching assistant role has been tested under single status and the salary that they are receiving has been decided to be fair. So what should be done?
If things are left as they are, the teaching assistants will be fully justified in taking action against the council based on equal pay. . . . .
Like I said - it's not an easy one . . .

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Darling2 says...
11:07am Fri 30 Oct 09

Nobody is daft enough to rely on pre-historic economic nonsense like market forces any more, especially since the banks first bankrupted themselves, then the country and are now starting the same sorry cycle unimpeded all over again.
Would you set to sea in a boat with holes in it?
Market forces. Pah. You'll be using that tabloids broken record quote 'broken britain' next. Market forces? Hahahahaha

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

kemptownhussey says...
11:08am Fri 30 Oct 09

What i want to know is if the council will employ temps like the post office are doing? That way, the bin en can strike for as long as they like, and we still get our rubbish collected.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

cantmoveforbins says...
11:12am Fri 30 Oct 09

kemptownhussey's right. The strikers are entitled to strike (apparently), and the council are entitled to take on more staff (those that actually want the job at the given price point/rate)

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Captain Commonsense says...
11:16am Fri 30 Oct 09

These moronic binmen, together with the brainless postal workers, are simply putting another nail into the coffin of the Labour government and ensuring a Tory victory at the next election. But when the Tories take power and impose their massively stringent cutbacks on public spending and the cash is no longer there to afford weekly bin collections and other services we take for granted, and businesses ditch Royal Mail in favour of more reliably delivery services, widespread job cuts will take place in the public sector and Royal Mail. When these people are sitting at home with no job and no income and waiting for the bailiffs to arrive because they can't afford to pay their bills, then they'll realise just what idiots they have been. But then that's why they are capable of little more than collecting bins and delivering mail for a career.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Nik Griffin says...
11:32am Fri 30 Oct 09

Captain Commonsense wrote:
These moronic binmen, together with the brainless postal workers, are simply putting another nail into the coffin of the Labour government and ensuring a Tory victory at the next election. But when the Tories take power and impose their massively stringent cutbacks on public spending and the cash is no longer there to afford weekly bin collections and other services we take for granted, and businesses ditch Royal Mail in favour of more reliably delivery services, widespread job cuts will take place in the public sector and Royal Mail. When these people are sitting at home with no job and no income and waiting for the bailiffs to arrive because they can't afford to pay their bills, then they'll realise just what idiots they have been. But then that's why they are capable of little more than collecting bins and delivering mail for a career.
Captain Commonsense. 100% right.
I'm old enough to remember the strikes in 70s - and what did Thatcher do when she came into power?
Stuffed the unions up for 25+ years. History has a habit of repeating itself, but some people have very short memories.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

thesnowbrigade says...
12:01pm Fri 30 Oct 09

JKW wrote:
This is the same Refuse collectors who went on strike in 2004 because they were only earning £27,000 a year!, and the same lot who earn £280 for a day's work after every bank holiday as they deem there is extra rubbish left around the town and also the same lot who charge the council £10 each a week for taking their lunch in thir cabs.
Firstly, I would like to clarify the salary, as the figures quoted on here so far are way off. Refuse and recycling collectors earn on average around £19k, therefore the paycuts suggested bring their salary to just above mimimum wage. Their job is an essential public service, and I doubt many of you would be willing to do the tasks it involves.

What I think some people here need to think about is how they would feel if they were personally facing paycuts of up to £8000.

With regards to the comment 'I don't believe in striking under any circumstances' - so what do you suggest? Talks with the council so far have not been able to come up with a suitable offer. The only form of protest these workers have is to withdraw their labour.

So you would just happily sit back and accept an £8000 paycut would you? Well more fool you.

These guys have my 100% support.


Report this post »    Register/Log In »

kingruss says...
12:17pm Fri 30 Oct 09

I don't care who goes on strike or does what, I do care if my rubbish doesn't get collected.

I pay council tax and expect this service - If the council can't provide this service they will be getting my bin bags delivered to the doorstep of Kings House where the corrupt contract department (sorry I meant Client Contracts Department) are based

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

withn says...
12:21pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Captain Commonsense wrote:
These moronic binmen, together with the brainless postal workers, are simply putting another nail into the coffin of the Labour government.

Well the likes of Mandelson are sitting on their hands and doing nowt about anything it seems. I choose to say 'it seems' with care.

It's election year next year, this Labour Lot will be clobbered for making their own mess and god help us we'll have the Tories back.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jonathon says...
12:21pm Fri 30 Oct 09

I thought the binmen had been on strike for year by the state of our street, where binbags are cluttering our streets.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

MarcoPolo says...
12:25pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Why no 'factual' reporting on the dispute? Journalists simply phone , record and spit back quotes. Where's the probing, analysis, figures, the detail? No wonder local papers are going down the tube, they're not delivering news any longer, only lazy 'freesheet' standard reporting. I haven't a clue who's in the right or wrong here because no one reports on the actual causes of the dispute.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

greeg says...
12:32pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Everyone dump their rubbish on the door steps of the houses of the Union hierarchy.It won't take long for them to recommend to their foot soldiers that it's time to get back to work.Rubbish collection's calling out for privatisation!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Brighton Lad says...
1:24pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Where on earth are people getting the figure of 28k a year from? I have only been left there for a year, and I was a chargehand earning 18k a year. Would any of you be happy to loose 8k a year and still do the same job? I think not. Equality should start with The jobs worths at Kings house and the line managers who do nothing to earn their over inflated wage.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

dinkie says...
2:04pm Fri 30 Oct 09

why should anyone take a pay cut...The MP'S dont seem to take a pay cut, but they like to take our money for stupid claims...I agree with the workers STRIKE...government sort it out as others will follow..The bills and debts still rise but our money seems to keep going down...

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

gregwah1 says...
2:18pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Difficult one - but as I understand it from a few months ago - bin men are paid approx £19/annum. In Brighton and Hove and it's surrounding areas that is sadly a good salery. There are people out there struggling to keep jobs at all and having experienced redundancies and redundancy reviews it is very unpleasant that the whole country and wider field is experiencing such uncertainty in employment! Even if there were pay cuts from £19k per year there are many many other jobs/roles and dare I say more skilled levels of employment that still pay between a £12-15k/year bracket! If we all went on strike when we felt we didn't get paid enough then no one would do anything in this world, the sad fact is that where we have chosen to live in this country the ratio of salery to cost of living is way way out of sink and even the higher end of the salery scale isn't high enough. This is a tough time - be thankful you have a job right now - because many many people don't!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Granny says...
2:28pm Fri 30 Oct 09

I am totally on the side of the binmen. How would the big wigs in the council like to take a pay cut from their inflated salaries, then this could subsidise the binmens' pay? Can we withhold the percentage of council tax for the period of the strike? After all, we will not be getting the service we are paying for. Whatever the binmen earn, and I mean earn, would anyone like to do their job in all weathers? The only one I have no sympathy for is the collection lorry driver, who seems to sit on his backside all day just moving the lorry slowly up and down roads. I hope his pay is not the same as the men who do the work! On another subject, I, too, am appalled at the spelling and grammer in some of the comments. Don't they teach anything at school these days?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

tonyinbrighton says...
2:55pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Granny - did you spell grammer just to tease?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

salty_pete says...
2:57pm Fri 30 Oct 09

I hate to dissapoint you Granny but the lorry driver gets paid the most of all, as he has a HGV licence. Historically they are the highest paid of all the binmen and are probably the ones that may lose the most.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jbhove says...
3:28pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Are the bosses taking a pay cut?? Bet they're not. I hope this matter is resolved soon though.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jyan says...
3:29pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Sorry but if the binmen don't like the money (or whatever they're moaning about now) go and get another job! And yes there are jobs out there despite the credit crunch. Also, there are plenty of other people who have to do nasty jobs in all weathers and get paid much less. So, stop the moaning get on with the job or move on to another!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Teila82 says...
3:41pm Fri 30 Oct 09

No one should have to have a pay cut, but also, they should be grateful they have a job!

Isn't it illegal to strike these days anyways?

Whether you make £10K or £20k, be graeful that you have a job. If you don't like it, get another one.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

beasue says...
3:51pm Fri 30 Oct 09

This is the first strike that I could actually agree with. Every one else, including the rest of what the council are talking about going on strike for is due to not getting a big enough pay rise, well tough start living in the real world. These binmen applied for a job that gave them a fixed wage that you would expect over the years to increase even just a little, not to suddenly be reduced but at least a third.
I still want my rubbish collecting but I suppose we should just be grateful that we're not one of the councils that have already gone over to fortnightly collections just think what that would be like. The rats would have a feild day, literally.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

thesnowbrigade says...
3:52pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Teila82 wrote:
No one should have to have a pay cut, but also, they should be grateful they have a job! Isn't it illegal to strike these days anyways? Whether you make £10K or £20k, be graeful that you have a job. If you don't like it, get another one.
Of course it isn't illegal to strike. Thank God Maggie never managed to get quite that far.

I love how people on here are just casually assuming there are hundreds of jobs going spare in Brighton that all the refuse and recycling crews could just walk into. What world do you live in?

Also, why should people just sit back and accept treatment like this? You say 'Whether you make £10k or £20k be grateful that you have a job'. Of course I agree with you that everyone should be grateful they have a job, and realise that there are people worse off than them, but also you shouldn't be taken for a mug and just let the fat cats dictate your pay and conditions willy nilly and be treated like crap. Where is your self respect??

As I said before - would YOU take a paycut of £8000?


Report this post »    Register/Log In »

salty_pete says...
3:56pm Fri 30 Oct 09

I hope the council has a good contigency plan in place, as a similar strike in Leeds has been going on for 8 weeks. The Nu-Labour government should repeal the Equalities Legislation that has caused this mess immediately. What would the rest of you have the council do ? If they apply this new legislation, as they have been instructed to do, then the bin men go on strike. If they don't, the government witholds the direct grant. The council are in between a rock and a very hard place, and all due to absurd legislation introduced by Nu-Labour.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Fight Back says...
4:53pm Fri 30 Oct 09

The most telling part of the article is Mary Mears not being prepared to get involved. Councillor Mears - you've been elected to look after the interests of the voters - no rubbish collections is not in these interests. So get off you're fat backside and do some work for a change and getting discussing !!!!

Oh, ALL councillors should be FORCED to take a 25% cut in expenses and allowances if the binmen have to take such high cuts.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

yorkie44 says...
5:07pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Could the Argus and the council explain what is going on. We are told that 800 workers are being asked to take a pay cut of £8000, but then read that only 300 CityClean workers are going on strike for what the BELIEVE is going to happen to their wages. Are there any real facts anywhere to support this? How can anybody be told they are suddenlly worth £8000 a year less. I could understand pay cuts if there just wasn't the money available and the only alternative was job cuts but this doesn't seem to be the case.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

tonybee says...
7:13pm Fri 30 Oct 09

typical knee jerk reaction from the moronic couldn't care less strew the rubbish over the road binmen cowboys.
Stuff them - let's replace them with honest hard working & conscientious
Poles

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

deni says...
7:26pm Fri 30 Oct 09

I would like to know where the Argus get their information from. I am a Teaching Assistant in a primary school. I have recently attended college and university to gain further qualifications. I work 30.5 hours a week and for this I receive £10,800 per year. Most Brighton Teaching Assistants earn less than £12,000. Please Argus get your facts correct.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Cass says...
11:40pm Fri 30 Oct 09

Are Councillors going to be taking the same pay cut, if not then why would they expect any other working sector to? At least the collectors show the work they do, despite sometimes leaving rubbish scattered, you always know they have been to work, more than can be said for councillors who we just believe, or do we??


Report this post »    Register/Log In »

greeg says...
12:10am Sat 31 Oct 09

Walking from house to house throwing lightweight bin bags in to the back of a lorry.Starting at 5am and finish at 11am five days a week.That's a synopsis of a binmans job.Worth over £20.000 a year?,i think a Squirrel could be trained up to do it.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

greeg says...
12:15am Sat 31 Oct 09

thesnowbrigade wrote:
JKW wrote: This is the same Refuse collectors who went on strike in 2004 because they were only earning £27,000 a year!, and the same lot who earn £280 for a day's work after every bank holiday as they deem there is extra rubbish left around the town and also the same lot who charge the council £10 each a week for taking their lunch in thir cabs.
Firstly, I would like to clarify the salary, as the figures quoted on here so far are way off. Refuse and recycling collectors earn on average around £19k, therefore the paycuts suggested bring their salary to just above mimimum wage. Their job is an essential public service, and I doubt many of you would be willing to do the tasks it involves. What I think some people here need to think about is how they would feel if they were personally facing paycuts of up to £8000. With regards to the comment 'I don't believe in striking under any circumstances' - so what do you suggest? Talks with the council so far have not been able to come up with a suitable offer. The only form of protest these workers have is to withdraw their labour. So you would just happily sit back and accept an £8000 paycut would you? Well more fool you. These guys have my 100% support.
Walking from house to house throwing lightweight bin bags in to the back of a lorry.Starting at 5am and finish at 11am five days a week.That's a synopsis of a binmans job.Worth . £20.000 a year?,i think a Squirrel could be trained up to do it.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Boris D says...
12:47am Sat 31 Oct 09

will we notice any difference when they are on strike ! plus they are the best payed bin men around, they wanted equal pay, they got it, just it is in line with what the woman have been getting for doing the same job ,

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

ladicius says...
8:09am Sat 31 Oct 09

I would love to see where people get the idea that collection operatives are on upwards of 25000 per annum most of us are on between 15000 - 17000 before tax, and under the new proposal we would lose up to 28% of our salary. I would like to ask many of our critics whether they would walk up to 25000 steps a day, lifting up to 2 tonnes a day in all weathers for 180.00 per week. As a family man with 3 children and a mortgage to pay I would be better of on the dole. My council tax alone would be 15% of my wage.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Fight Back says...
9:22am Sat 31 Oct 09

greeg wrote:
Walking from house to house throwing lightweight bin bags in to the back of a lorry.Starting at 5am and finish at 11am five days a week.That's a synopsis of a binmans job.Worth over £20.000 a year?,i think a Squirrel could be trained up to do it.
If they finish at 11am how come my bin is sometimes emptied as late as 2pm ??? Me thinks you don't know what you're talking about ! I for one wouldn't get out of bed at 5am and work in the weathers they have to for less than £20k - worth every penny. Now a Chief Exec on £150k - that's a completely different story.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Gaz the great says...
10:25am Sat 31 Oct 09

For all you people out there who disagree with the strike, how would you like it if your employer said they wanted to cut your wages between £2.000/£8,000-I dont think so!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

rabmck says...
10:44am Sat 31 Oct 09

Variable wrote:
couldbeakiller wrote:
sussex tiger wrote: if the council had not spent thousands on these black bins that have been dumped on street corners and on double yellow lines and are a hazzard with no lights on at nite why are the parking wardens not putting tickets on then and using the fines to pay are dustman a wage to live on if i park my car on yellow lines i get a ticket but a dustbin is excempt come on mary mears would you like one of these bins on your door step that smell after a few days yes i bet you dont
Tiger.. if you are going to complain, at least try and use the spellcheck device on your computer. 'hazzard', 'nite', 'are dustmen' 'excempt' 'door step'. I wonder which school in Britain teaches its pupils such a high level of literacy???
I have to agree a bit here, even though I'm rarely a grammar nazi. Tiger: If you are going to contribute to a debate, at least please try to use some punctuation. It makes it so much easier for people to understand what it is you are saying. As for your point. Your car is a car. That's why it gets parking tickets when you leave it on yellow lines. A wheelie bin is not a car. it's a DUSTBIN. Duh!
could be killer do not join the debate purley to insult peoples inteligence then try to tell us all that the black bins dumped on street corners and double yellow lines are wheelie bins as they are actually called communal bins so please keep your criticism to yourself thanks

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

greeg says...
11:12am Sat 31 Oct 09

Fight Back wrote:
greeg wrote: Walking from house to house throwing lightweight bin bags in to the back of a lorry.Starting at 5am and finish at 11am five days a week.That's a synopsis of a binmans job.Worth over £20.000 a year?,i think a Squirrel could be trained up to do it.
If they finish at 11am how come my bin is sometimes emptied as late as 2pm ??? Me thinks you don't know what you're talking about ! I for one wouldn't get out of bed at 5am and work in the weathers they have to for less than £20k - worth every penny. Now a Chief Exec on £150k - that's a completely different story.
If they empty your bin at 2pm ,they wouldn't be starting at 5am.There are lots of people who work all day exposed to the elements who don't earn £20.000 a year.You would be hard pressed to give an example of another job that attracts that kind of salary.The reason you don't get up at 5am and work in all weathers is probably for the same reason i don't,i don't have to.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

rabmck says...
11:57am Sat 31 Oct 09

Just to help you all out who are debating if the council Refuse,Recycling street cleansing staff should have our pay cut the annual salary is between 14k and 19k depending on what job you do the cuts will range from 2k--8k so now you have the facts carry on and decideif you believe this is fair or not I know what 94% of the workers think and thats what matters

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

leeeeee says...
2:12pm Sat 31 Oct 09

Gaz the great wrote:
For all you people out there who disagree with the strike, how would you like it if your employer said they wanted to cut your wages between £2.000/£8,000-I dont think so!
if you dont like it go get another job......... oh, i forgot, of course you are probably unemployable elsewhere!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

leeeeee says...
2:12pm Sat 31 Oct 09

Gaz the great wrote:
For all you people out there who disagree with the strike, how would you like it if your employer said they wanted to cut your wages between £2.000/£8,000-I dont think so!
if you dont like it go get another job......... oh, i forgot, of course you are probably unemployable elsewhere!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Gaz the great says...
4:12pm Sat 31 Oct 09

Leeeee, Shoreham-Sorry to upset you but i don't work in Brighton & earn a lot more than our binmen-However i wouldn't want to take a pay cut, how bout you, or are you unemployed & so think that this could never happen to you! Think before you leave messages about somebody other than yourself!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

leeeeee says...
5:30pm Sat 31 Oct 09

Gaz the great wrote:
Leeeee, Shoreham-Sorry to upset you but i don't work in Brighton & earn a lot more than our binmen-However i wouldn't want to take a pay cut, how bout you, or are you unemployed & so think that this could never happen to you! Think before you leave messages about somebody other than yourself!
Apologies I was reffering to the workers and not you! I would obviously not like to take a pay cut, but I aware of many people within my industry that have had to accept pay cuts or a reduced working week to keep their jobs! Without the strikes.... You understand?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Turing Test says...
8:21am Sun 1 Nov 09

Top marks to Mary Mears for showing a bit of leadership and.... doing nothing. What's her job title again? Does it have the word "leader" in it? Oh yes... it has the word "Tory" before it.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Voice of Wisdom says...
8:54pm Sun 1 Nov 09

In the current economic climate no one deserves a pay cut of this magnitude. If pay parity is the issue then maybe the employees concerned should mark time and not receive any future pay rises until other workers reach or exceed their pay,after all you don't need a degree in Quantum Physics to work on the dust. As regards to a weeks strike it won't make a lot difference as our road is missed out on a regular basis,which is down to the management who decide what routes get completed or don't. Lastly will the council be refunding tax payers for the non collection of rubbish?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Gaz the great says...
3:38pm Mon 2 Nov 09

Leeeee Shoreham-Apologies acepted, if you ever read this-Just think a lot of employers are using the recession to reduce their wage bill but increasing their wages or bonus's-This year no pay increase where i work yet my company made millions!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

GRANDAD says...
7:34pm Mon 2 Nov 09

It seems every one is prepared to either back or be against the binmen, completely forgetting the reason for the strike proposal. It seems very similar to the scheme put forward many years ago on the firm I worked for by some clever consultants who convinced a gullible management they could clarify a list of different jobs by giving them ratings under different headings including skills, physical effort, mental effort, resonsibility etc. The troubleis that once anybody with a modicum of sense looks at this you will find the evaluations are impossible to come to. Those nasty comments alleging anyone could do a binmens work are wide of the mark. If they are made by an office worker they should try to evaluate their own job in relation to the commmunity as well as to their employer.Is their job a responsible one, can others do it, is the office heated as opposed to working outside. It soon becomes apparent when trying to apply scores or points to evaluate different jobs that it is a ridiculous exercise. Pity we haven't got councillors who can see through these consultants who sell these schemes. It is more of a pity that we can't just have the council taxes used for what should be the main priorities of running a clean town etc and stop wasting money promoting issues that I believe are outside their remit.
Don't be fooled, this is fat cats pretending they are cleverer than the rest of us, support the binmen.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

greeg says...
7:45pm Mon 2 Nov 09

GRANDAD wrote:
It seems every one is prepared to either back or be against the binmen, completely forgetting the reason for the strike proposal. It seems very similar to the scheme put forward many years ago on the firm I worked for by some clever consultants who convinced a gullible management they could clarify a list of different jobs by giving them ratings under different headings including skills, physical effort, mental effort, resonsibility etc. The troubleis that once anybody with a modicum of sense looks at this you will find the evaluations are impossible to come to. Those nasty comments alleging anyone could do a binmens work are wide of the mark. If they are made by an office worker they should try to evaluate their own job in relation to the commmunity as well as to their employer.Is their job a responsible one, can others do it, is the office heated as opposed to working outside. It soon becomes apparent when trying to apply scores or points to evaluate different jobs that it is a ridiculous exercise. Pity we haven't got councillors who can see through these consultants who sell these schemes. It is more of a pity that we can't just have the council taxes used for what should be the main priorities of running a clean town etc and stop wasting money promoting issues that I believe are outside their remit. Don't be fooled, this is fat cats pretending they are cleverer than the rest of us, support the binmen.
You're talking up the skill required to do a binmans job,you seem to be implying there's a lot of training involved.I think the job could be learned in no more than half an hour.Can you explain to a layman such as myself, as to why this is not so,if you can ?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

GRANDAD says...
8:19pm Mon 2 Nov 09

Greeg, I am not talking up the binmans job, just trying to explain how schemes get introduced to try to make comparisons so as to lessen the pay levels of what is, whatever ther the skill factor, a very necessary job. Just try to imagine, or remember , as I can. what it is like when binmen withdraw their labour. If everybody in an insurance office went on strike, the effects would be negligible to most people. The Insurance workers salary may be well in advance of the binmen. The point being that different jobs have various skills and responsibilities so using the equality argument and comparison schemes doesn't really work. You may be able to learn a job in a short time but can you do it full time. Some people would fail because they can't get up really early or stand working outside all year round and would jack it in for those reasons. Another person may not be able to stand working indoors all the time. A teacher if able to gain extra money for doing a binmans job may refuse it for these reasons , or because of the lack of holidays. Many people earn their living using computers, and it could be argued that any teenager could be just as competent within half an hour these days but that wouldn't justify setting the wages at just above pocket money levels .Trying to belittle other peoples jobs is really not very useful

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

sussexone says...
4:45pm Wed 4 Nov 09

greeg wrote:
thesnowbrigade wrote:
JKW wrote: This is the same Refuse collectors who went on strike in 2004 because they were only earning £27,000 a year!, and the same lot who earn £280 for a day's work after every bank holiday as they deem there is extra rubbish left around the town and also the same lot who charge the council £10 each a week for taking their lunch in thir cabs.
Firstly, I would like to clarify the salary, as the figures quoted on here so far are way off. Refuse and recycling collectors earn on average around £19k, therefore the paycuts suggested bring their salary to just above mimimum wage. Their job is an essential public service, and I doubt many of you would be willing to do the tasks it involves. What I think some people here need to think about is how they would feel if they were personally facing paycuts of up to £8000. With regards to the comment 'I don't believe in striking under any circumstances' - so what do you suggest? Talks with the council so far have not been able to come up with a suitable offer. The only form of protest these workers have is to withdraw their labour. So you would just happily sit back and accept an £8000 paycut would you? Well more fool you. These guys have my 100% support.
Walking from house to house throwing lightweight bin bags in to the back of a lorry.Starting at 5am and finish at 11am five days a week.That's a synopsis of a binmans job.Worth . £20.000 a year?,i think a Squirrel could be trained up to do it.
Actually, it's NOT a blanket £8000 cut for ALL workers, it is between £2000 and £8000 depending on what you are currently paid!!!!

Didn't the unions agree to equal pay in the 1997 NJC Single Status Agreement, and implementation in the 2004 Pay Implementation Agreement? See http://www.unison.or
g.uk/localgov/gettin
gequal/singlestatus.
asp

And now the workers don't seem to like what their Unions agreed to!

Pass me an application form, I'd like a job with Brighton Council even at upto an £8k cut on what they currently earn.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

cupcakes says...
2:48pm Thu 5 Nov 09

thesnowbrigade wrote:
Teila82 wrote: No one should have to have a pay cut, but also, they should be grateful they have a job! Isn't it illegal to strike these days anyways? Whether you make £10K or £20k, be graeful that you have a job. If you don't like it, get another one.
Of course it isn't illegal to strike. Thank God Maggie never managed to get quite that far. I love how people on here are just casually assuming there are hundreds of jobs going spare in Brighton that all the refuse and recycling crews could just walk into. What world do you live in? Also, why should people just sit back and accept treatment like this? You say 'Whether you make £10k or £20k be grateful that you have a job'. Of course I agree with you that everyone should be grateful they have a job, and realise that there are people worse off than them, but also you shouldn't be taken for a mug and just let the fat cats dictate your pay and conditions willy nilly and be treated like crap. Where is your self respect?? As I said before - would YOU take a paycut of £8000?
I couldn't agree more, so many people are quick to attack the crews and make assumptions, and no one even understands what they face, NO ONE can afford a pay cut, no matter how much and nor should they! Shocking.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

thesnowbrigade says...
3:08pm Thu 5 Nov 09

sussexone wrote:
greeg wrote:
thesnowbrigade wrote:
JKW wrote: This is the same Refuse collectors who went on strike in 2004 because they were only earning £27,000 a year!, and the same lot who earn £280 for a day's work after every bank holiday as they deem there is extra rubbish left around the town and also the same lot who charge the council £10 each a week for taking their lunch in thir cabs.
Firstly, I would like to clarify the salary, as the figures quoted on here so far are way off. Refuse and recycling collectors earn on average around £19k, therefore the paycuts suggested bring their salary to just above mimimum wage. Their job is an essential public service, and I doubt many of you would be willing to do the tasks it involves. What I think some people here need to think about is how they would feel if they were personally facing paycuts of up to £8000. With regards to the comment 'I don't believe in striking under any circumstances' - so what do you suggest? Talks with the council so far have not been able to come up with a suitable offer. The only form of protest these workers have is to withdraw their labour. So you would just happily sit back and accept an £8000 paycut would you? Well more fool you. These guys have my 100% support.
Walking from house to house throwing lightweight bin bags in to the back of a lorry.Starting at 5am and finish at 11am five days a week.That's a synopsis of a binmans job.Worth . £20.000 a year?,i think a Squirrel could be trained up to do it.
Actually, it's NOT a blanket £8000 cut for ALL workers, it is between £2000 and £8000 depending on what you are currently paid!!!! Didn't the unions agree to equal pay in the 1997 NJC Single Status Agreement, and implementation in the 2004 Pay Implementation Agreement? See http://www.unison.or g.uk/localgov/gettin gequal/singlestatus. asp And now the workers don't seem to like what their Unions agreed to! Pass me an application form, I'd like a job with Brighton Council even at upto an £8k cut on what they currently earn.
ACTUALLY, I said UP TO £8000. I am fully aware of how much each individual is facing. I am also fully aware that the unions agreed to the Single Status agreement, of course unions believe in equal pay. However, they did not agree with how this should be implemented, hence the strikes. The council compared traditionally 'female' jobs such as library workers, teaching assistants etc, who are on very low pay (about £12k I think) and compared it to traditionally 'male' jobs such as binmen. Instead of raising the wages of the TAs, library workers etc, they have decided to slash the Cityclean workers pay to an equal amount.

Why should these hard working people have to pay for the Council's historical mistake?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

greeg says...
3:25pm Thu 5 Nov 09

"Pass me an application form, I'd like a job with Brighton Council even at up to an £8k cut on what they currently earn". 'fraid not,nepotism and incest are the order of the day at the council.ie;if you're not related to anyone or don't know anyone,your chances of employment are slim!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

GRANDAD says...
8:38pm Thu 5 Nov 09

How many of the know all lot commenting above who think being a bin man is easy, the pay is brilliant and they could do a better job have been down the council in this past copuple of weeks asking for a start. You should enjoy it lads as it will be easy for you clever guys and the weather is just coming in how you like it

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

flakoff says...
3:33pm Sun 8 Nov 09

The biggest joke is how much money we give to others abroad when that money could be given to local councils.Also there are just too many people in this country now we need a system like Australia for immigration.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

greeg says...
9:24pm Sun 8 Nov 09

flakoff wrote:
The biggest joke is how much money we give to others abroad when that money could be given to local councils.Also there are just too many people in this country now we need a system like Australia for immigration.
You're nowhere near wrong,ie;too many people.If you consider somewhere like France,it has a similar sized population,but is actually round about two and a half time the size of GB,that statistic speaks for itself

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

click2find

Most popular






About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree