UNION leaders have heralded a deal that ends a weeks-long bin dispute, with some refuse workers set for a pay rise of more than 20 per cent.

GMB members have voted to accept Adur and Worthing Councils’ latest pay offer and suspend strike action.

The pay deal will mean an increase of 8.2 per cent for refuse loaders, 10.4 per cent for cleansing drivers, and a 20.7 per cent increase for some HGV drivers.

The agreement includes improved weekend and bank holiday pay for cleansing crews and an increased specialist skills payments for HGV drivers.

Regional organiser Gary Palmer said the offer is a tribute to their members’ dedication and determination for a settlement that reflects their work.

He said: “It would have been very easy for them to just accept the award that they were offered, but they collectively decided to say I’m worth more than that.

“They were told it was a great deal - but decided to judge for themselves what they are worth.

“Now we have a deal which is not below inflation, but instead reflects market rates for this sort of work and keeps them ahead of the cost-of-living-crisis.

“GMB wants to say thank you to the residents and businesses within Adur and Worthing for their support and understanding throughout this dispute.

“This once again shows the value of being in a union, and the message is clear - anyone else looking to improve their pay should give GMB a call.”

Although industrial action has been called off, the union have agreed with the councils an option to bring members back out on strike until November if commitments are not honoured within an agreed time period.

A spokesman for Adur and Worthing Councils said: “We are pleased that all parties have found a way to end this strike and thank residents and businesses for their patience during this difficult time.

“At all times we have sought to find a way to recognise the excellent work staff at this service undertake while being mindful that our budgets are tight and that we also have to protect other services. We think we can do that with this deal which gives extra remuneration for staff.

“What we and our staff want to do now is continue the catch-up to remove the backlog from our streets as soon as possible. We will be reaching out shortly to our commercial customers who have had to seek alternative arrangements during the strike and we will be working on re-establishing green waste collections as soon as practicable after the backlog of residual and recyclable waste has been tackled.”