by our industrial reporter @TrinderMatt

REFUSE workers’ inflation-busting pay victory in Eastbourne is piling the pressure on nearby Adur and Worthing councils to follow suit and “nip this dispute in the bud,” GMB stressed today.

On Tuesday, the union announced staff in Eastbourne had formally accepted a wage boost of nearly 20 per cent, after six days of strikes earlier this month.  

The offer, described as “fair and appropriate” by the borough council in the East Sussex town, includes a minimum pay rise this year of 11 per cent and a guarantee that the hourly rate will reach a minimum of £13.50 by April 2023 — a 19 per cent rise overall.