DAY-long union crunch meetings, bin workers occupying the Hollingdean depot and bins piled high with rubbish.

It may sound like a story in The Argus from last week, but in fact it came from our report of another bin strike in June 2001.

Thirteen years ago, the dispute was over contractual issues which had led to the sacking of a number of workers.

Those who had lost their jobs took to the Hollingdean depot and occupied the site.

However, the most drastic action of that dispute came when an activist chained himself to a dustcart for nearly five hours in an attempt to stop it leaving the depot.

His action came as the waste company, Sita, was fast approaching its 48-hour deadline set by Brighton and Hove City Council to sort out its service.

He jumped underneath the wheels of the 18-ton dustcart as dustmen talked to the driver, trying to persuade him not to leave the depot.

The man used a bicycle chain and lock to chain himself underneath the vehicle, preventing it from moving.

His actions stopped any dustcart leaving the Waste-Tech depot from where Sita was trying to run a collection service using agency staff.

He stayed there for four-and-a-half hours while police tried to persuade him to give up his protest and to move the vehicle.

After he unlocked himself, he emerged with his face blackened by grease.

He was cheered by the dustmen and street cleaners who had been picketing the depot to try to persuade drivers not to go out with agency crews.

The man was taken away in a car by union official Gary Smith.

There was further disruption in spring 2004, when refuse collectors held a wildcat strike in support of Richard Warren, who was suddenly suspended.

Three days into the action the rubbish soon started to build up as the 300-strong workforce refused to carry out any of their rounds.

Less than a month later, a ballot was held and further strikes were arranged.

Mark Turner, of the GMB, was the driving force behind the action – as he is today.

The next major action came in June 2013 when workers went on strike for days on end, leaving rubbish piled high.

The strike coincided with a long spell of hot weather.

We had countless calls throughout the month from residents reporting rats, foxes and seagulls dining on the overflowing rubbish.

Tourism leaders blamed the strike for a fall in visitors during the period, with politicians predicting the overflowing waste would impact on the reputation of the city.

Union leaders apologised for the mess and said they had no other option but to strike.