Brighton bin strike: Everything you need to know about today’s meeting

Members of the GMB union have agreed to an offer to end the bin strike, which was put forward by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The council said the offer included a “significant and generous pay offer” which would raise wages for some of its lowest paid workers, as well as the Cityclean service.

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The agreement is due to be voted on by the council’s policy and resources committee today.

Branch secretary Mark Turner said the acceptance of the deal is a step towards ending the strike.

“If the councillors now vote in a similar positive fashion this week, the dispute is over, so it’s in their hands now,” he said.

“It always has been about respect for the difficult job our members do in the city, and often the difficult circumstances and poor equipment they often must put up with to carry out that role.

“The fact that we’ve also seen through a pay increase what is a significant recognition of their hard work and skills through a regrading exercise, our members felt that it was only right to vote to accept the council’s proposal and suspend strike action with immediate effect if the council do their part and sign off at their policy and resources meeting this week.

“The disruption has been difficult for the residents of Brighton and Hove, and to be clear it was always our last resort.

“But the council had for too long either ignored or delayed the issues and in seeking to meaningfully get around the table to resolve matters, the strike was always intended to simply focus their attention.”

End of Brighton bin strike set to be confirmed at meeting today

A ballot by the GMB union showed that 100 per cent of the members who voted were in favour of the walk out, which began on Tuesday, October 5.

As a result, Brighton’s Cityclean, recycling, commercial waste and HGV drivers went on strike for two-weeks.

The strike was triggered by a dispute over pay and working conditions.

Gary Palmer, GMB regional organiser, congratulated the strikers in “standing up collectively to demand and win both respect and fair treatment by their own management team”.

“The occasional negative comments about their taking industrial action have been far outweighed by the amazing support picketers have received over the 13 days of strike action in both words and actions by those visiting the picket and strikers at the Hollingdean depot,” he said.

“Once pay became an issue in the negotiations after being mentioned by the council, HGV drivers were always clear that any regrading exercise and subsequent pay increase on the table always had to be inclusive of all Cityclean workers and not just themselves.

“The consequences of that are that once that piece of work is done, it could in effect see a beneficial ripple out throughout all Brighton and Hove council’s lower grades and result in many more of the councils’ lower paid workers in council areas such as schools, and care, as an example gaining well deserved pay increases across the board.”

Bin workers had been due to start a new five-week walk-out on Thursday if a deal with the council was not reached.

A council spokesman said: “We're pleased that the formal resolution proposal has been agreed by GMB members and it will now be put forward to the council's policy and resources committee for ratification.

"We apologise to residents, business and visitors to the city for the disruption during the last few weeks and thank you for your patience."