SUSSEX could be hit with another bin strike with the GMB union asking refuse workers if they want to take industrial action.

The GMB is set to formally ballot refuse collector members for strike action in Adur and Worthing.

The news follows strike action by the union in Brighton and Eastbourne, which both ended in above inflation pay increases for refuse workers.

Mark Turner, branch secretary of the GMB, said: "The GMB has tried to speak to management at Adur and Worthing Council, but the message has been received loud and clear that they are not prepared to negotiate.

"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.

"If they don't receive a pay offer reflecting the value of their work, our members are very clear they will go on strike.

"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 blame should be directed at Adur and Worthing."

Mr Turner also said that residents unhappy at the prospect of rubbish piling up on their streets "can contact their local council and ask them to lobby management to get back around the negotiating table".

A consultative ballot saw 92.5 per cent of GMB members vote in favour of industrial action.

A spokesman for Adur and Worthing Council said that, while they welcomed the opportunity to speak with the union about their issues around waste, the GMB is not the recognised union within the service.

He said: "As councils, we take the matter of terms and conditions for all staff here very seriously indeed, and we are working collectively as authorities to do our best to ensure staff across all services are adequately rewarded within the confines of very tight budgets.

"We welcomed the opportunity to last week to discuss with the GMB their issues surrounding our waste and recycling services because we are committed to a thorough review of operations post-pandemic and into the future. This review began in October and is ongoing. All views are welcome.

"We were unable to ascertain much detail as to the exact nature of the complaints but we were pleased that, in almost all cases, the headline issues GMB representatives raised are already within the scope of the review we are conducting at present.

"It is important to point out that the GMB is not the recognised union within the service. This is Unison and we are in full dialogue with their representatives concerning the review and have committed to reporting back on many concerns surrounding terms and conditions by the end of February. This has already seen an uplift in HGV drivers’ rates of pay in recognition of current market conditions and the need to deliver a first class service.

"We are confident that if the GMB were the officially recognised union here they would expect us to conduct business in exactly the same way.

"The councils are rightly proud of the service provided by our teams and crews who during the pandemic did not miss a collection. It is our hope that we can conduct this review in a spirit of cooperation, finding as many solutions as possible to reflect the hard work of our staff but also protect the excellent service they provide to residents."

The threat of strike action comes just a day after the union praised the settlement reached in a bin dispute in Eastbourne as a "massive win for GMB members".

The union agreed to an above inflation pay offer of almost 19 per cent put forward by the council.

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