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.  

Today GMB also announced a formal strike ballot for refuse workers in West Sussex’s Adur and Worthing districts, after a consultative vote saw 92.5 per cent of members back walkouts.

Both disputes come after refuse collectors in nearby Brighton won an above-inflation pay rise after long-running strike action ended last month.

GMB branch secretary Mark Turner said: “Given what has happened up the road in Brighton and Eastbourne, you would have thought the council might want to nip this dispute in the bud.

“We would apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused to the public by unemptied bins.

“We’ve tried to reach out to the council to no avail and it now appears action is inevitable.

“Any resident unhappy at the prospect of rubbish piling up in the streets can contact their local councillor and ask them to lobby management to get back around the negotiating table.”

A spokesperson for Adur and Worthing Councils, which do not recognise GMB as representing refuse workers, said local authorities are “working collectively to do our best to ensure that staff are adequately rewarded within very tight budgets.”