MORE than three-quarters of Argus readers oppose the ongoing bin strike, a poll has shown.

Bin workers have started their fifth day of a walk out amid an ongoing dispute with the council over pay and working conditions.

An Argus survey of 405 readers found that 77 per cent oppose the bin strike, as opposed to only 23 per cent backing the refuse workers in their industrial action.

With wildlife experts expressing concern that animals could poison themselves by eating rubbish left on the street in the strike, one commenter said that the waste poses a risk to public health.

They called for “decisive intervention to rid the streets of rubbish,” and said: “I saw rats at dawn scurrying away from overflowing bins in central Hove. Another lamentable failure by public health in this city.”

Other Argus readers expressed frustration at the bin service in general, as well as from the disruption caused from the strike action. On Twitter, a resident said while they are not against the strike, they are “against the fact that we never get our collections properly anyway, now definitely won’t - yet we still pay for it.”

However, Jim Crabtree said he supports the strike, especially as the industrial action received unanimous support from the union’s membership.

Jim said: “It’s about the safety and health of staff, not money. Good on them for standing up for themselves.”

Another Twitter user said the workers do a dangerous, dirty and difficult job, and asked “Where would we have been without the public sector workers like these who put themselves on the line for everyone during lockdowns?”

Leader of the council Phelim Mac Cafferty has thanked residents for their patience amid the continuing industrial action and said talks with GMB representatives are “ongoing and at a sensitive stage.”

One Argus reader called on Cllr Mac Cafferty to “sort it out”.

“Can’t be that hard, can it?,” they said.

The bin strike is set to continue for another nine days if the GMB and the council do not reach an agreement to resolve the dispute.

Residents could also be faced with another fortnight of industrial action from October 21 after the GMB announced a second series of strike dates earlier this week.

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