I was dismayed to read your story (The Argus, May 9) concerning the dispute between street refuse workers and Brighton and Hove City Council.

For most people rubbish collection and clean streets are the main benefits they receive for payment of their council tax.

It is extremely disappointing that council leader Jason Kitcat has seen fit to ignore requests to meet with representatives of the binmen and street cleaners.

This smacks of arrogance and will surely not help resolve a situation which most reasonable people would want cleared up as soon as possible.

Not content with this, the Greens then suggest residents should take their own rubbish to waste facilities.

I wonder if they would be good enough to give guidance on the preferred method of transport.

Should I take my wheelie bin to the tip on the bus, tow it behind my bike or simply push it the four miles? I would not dare use my car as this would no doubt insult our Green council’s sensibilities.

BJ Cooper, Braeside Avenue, Patcham

For more than 30 years, I lived opposite the Hollingdean rubbish depot in Brighton and, as I returned to work each day after my lunch-break, I would often see binmen streaming out in the direction of the local pub or their homes or, possibly, their second jobs.

And all this before 2pm; their day was over while mine was only halfway completed.

However, I felt no animosity towards them because, in those days, they operated a very simple and effective system: task and finish.

The crews were given an area to cover and the time it took them to clear the bins from it was down to them.

They could either take it easy and finish at the official time or pull out all the stops and finish a lot earlier. They naturally chose the latter and would be virtually running along to get the job done and dusted.

Even though they were in a hurry they never expected us to put our bins next to the curb and would be quite happy to come down our front and rear paths.

They were also very accommodating when it came to removing larger items which did not fit into the bins.

But then so-called “management experts” appeared on the scene and took the view that the men had to work the hours stipulated in their contracts.

They totally ignored, or could not take on board, the fact that the town’s rubbish was being collected in a very efficient manner and one with which the residents were completely content.

I do not recall the binmen ever having cause to withdraw their labour or go on strike.

However, ever since the experts took over, The Argus has, over the years, published article after article about dissatisfaction within the workforce, many illustrated with photos of uncollected rubbish accumulating in the city’s streets.

And the lesson the experts never learnt? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Eric Waters, Ingleside Crescent, Lancing

So the council wants people to take their own rubbish to the tip.

I thought the Green’s policy was to discourage car use, not encourage it.

According to the latest Census, about a third of the city’s households do not own a car.

What should those residents do? Use the bus to get to the tip? Instead of issuing daft advice like this, Green councillors ought to accept their responsibilities and get down to the job of settling their dispute with the binmen.

David Lepper, former Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion