UNION representatives have called on a council to engage and negotiate with them if they want to avoid two weeks of industrial action.

GMB branch secretary Mark Turner said that until union members are offered a pay deal that reflects their hard work, they will have no option but to withdraw their labour.

He claimed that senior figures at Adur and Worthing Council "seem to want to bury their heads in the sand".

Mr Turner said: "We’re issuing a stark warning that they have three weeks to speak to us or it’ll be rubbish that they’ll be buried in.

"Strike notice has been issued and given the council refuse to meet us formally and negotiate a settlement, just like we saw in Brighton and in Eastbourne, Adur and Worthing will see resident’s rubbish go uncollected and the town centres and communal streets uncleaned.

"We remain ready to negotiate but are also of course very well prepared for action."

Gary Palmer, GMB regional organiser, said that while the union are experienced negotiators, they are also "very experienced at direct action". 

He said councillors "should think about bringing pressure" to bear upon chief executive Catherine Howe and Paul Brewer, director for digital, sustainability and resources.

"They operate with delegated authority and instruction from the elected councillors to run council services on their behalf in the first place," he said.

"I suspect that if we do indeed see a prolonged dispute, this decision not to engage with GMB may come back to haunt these elected officials come election time in May. 

"If the residents are unhappy with rubbish on the streets and on their doorsteps, they should think about contacting their councillors and letting them know how they feel."

A spokesman for Adur and Worthing Councils, however, said that the GMB has "refused to explain" to the council what the issues of its members are.

He said: "We would encourage the GMB to tell us what the issues are so that we can try to resolve them to prevent the lives of residents being disrupted.

"In the meantime, we will continue working on our current review of the service to ensure our staff have fair pay, terms and conditions and the best possible working environment."

The council also said that while they will only officially negotiate with Unison, the legally recognised union to represent staff across council services, they will "listen to and take into account the views of anyone involved, which certainly involves members of the GMB at the depot."

Strike action is due to take place over the course of a fortnight, starting on March 14.

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.