GMB give council three week notice to avoid bin strike in Adur & Worthing
Strike action is always our last resort, but GMB are experienced negotiators and are also very experienced at organising direct action. It’s up to the officers at Adur & Worthing Council which way they want to play it.
GMB union can announce that their members working in the domestic refuse, recycling and street cleaning service within Adur & Worthing Council have announced that their strike action will start on Monday 14th March.
This action will affect up to 82,000 local homes unless the council’s Chief Executive and Director for Digital, Sustainability and Resources decide to engage with GMB and resolve the pay matters at hand.
The dispute has escalated because of the council’s non-engagement with the GMB, who represent the largest portion of staff across the service.
Union members are aware of the worth of the service they provide for residents across Adur and Worthing, and feel that until the council offers a pay deal which reflects their hard work in providing such a successful service, they have no option but to withdraw their labour.
Mark Turner, GMB B50 Branch Secretary said: “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.
“Even though both Catherine Howe (Chief Executive) and Paul Brewer (Director for Digital, Sustainability & Resources) seem to want to bury their heads in the sand, 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.
“We remain ready to negotiate but are also of course very well prepared for action.”
Gary Palmer, GMB Regional Organiser said: “Strike action is always our last resort, but GMB are experienced negotiators and are also very experienced at organising direct action. It’s up to the officers at Adur & Worthing Council which way they want to play it.
“Perhaps the elected councillors should think about bringing pressure to bear upon Catherine Howe and Paul Brewer to encourage them to formally speak with GMB sooner rather than later, as they operate with delegated authority and instruction from the elected councillors to run council services on their behalf in the first place.
“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.”
Contact: Mark Turner 07860787973 or Gary Palmer 07552165950
