Social workers in the city walked out for the first time ever in a dispute about pay.
Adult social workers with the union Unison in Brighton and Hove called for pay parity with other social workers who work with children and families.
Around 100 people joined the picket outside Hove Town Hall today.
The trade union Unison is calling on the government to fund "proper" pay rises and for the council to address the pay inequalities.
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A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove Unison said: “We are proud of the more than 100 adult social worker members today as they took their first historic strike action on fair pay.
"Dozens were at the picket this morning and the support from the public who stopped to talk to us was clear. They deserve parity of pay with their social work friends and colleagues in families, children and learning, and the residents of the city deserve services that are fit for purpose and well resourced.”
“While we understand the precarious financial situation of the council, that is not the fault of social workers, but the fault of over a decade of deliberate and cynical underfunding of our local services by central government. Brighton and Hove City Council needs to ask itself not, what price fair pay for adult social workers, but rather, what cost not paying social workers fairly and enough to live with dignity. "
In a previous statement, Councillor Tristram Burden, chairman of the council's adult social care and public health sub-committee, said: “Our social workers carry out challenging work day in, day out , and we value each and every one of them.
“We know the cost-of-living crisis is biting, and we help wherever we can.
“But as we have made clear in our negotiations, this unfortunately cannot include awarding social workers in our adult social care service a 12.5 per cent market supplement.
“I will always support the right to strike, but I'm also saddened employees feel the need to take this action.
“We are keeping negotiations open with our Unison colleagues to try to find a solution to the current dispute.”
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