Brighton and Hove binmen vote to strike

Brighton and Hove’s binmen and street cleaners have voted overwhelmingly to strike in their dispute over pay and allowances.

The GMB union said that 95.6 per cent of staff voted in favour of strike action and that a week-long strike would start on Friday 14 June.

The union said that it had set up a strike committee which would announce further dates soon.

About 270 Brighton and Hove City Council rubbish, recycling and street cleaning staff are expected to join the strike.

They are based at the council’s CityClean depot in Hollingdean.

They walked out on an unofficial strike for two days last month when the council began a 90-day consultation about proposed changes to overtime rates and other allowances.

Negotiations started after a decision in January by the council’s Policy and Resources Committee to ask officials to sort out disparities in allowances across the council.

Councillor Jason Kitcat

Council leader Councillor Jason Kitcat, who also chairs the Policy and Resources Committee, said that this is what most other councils had done – ask officials to handle the talks.

Some of his Green Party colleagues want the issue brought back before elected councillors and some are angry that the current proposals would mean a cut in take-home pay for some staff.

Councillor Kitcat said that between 400 and 500 staff would lose out under the proposed changes while a similar number would be better off.

Those losing out include almost all the CityClean staff. Everyone who stands to lose out has been offered compensation equal to three years’ worth of losses.

The union said that some staff would lose up to £4,000 a year although the council said that only a few people would lose such a large sum.

Most of those who would be worse of stood to lose about £1,000 a year.

Council chief executive Penny Thompson said that she did not underestimate how serious that would be for low-paid staff which was why compensation was being offered.

Mark Turner, the GMB branch secretary, said: “A 96 per cent vote in favour of industrial action clearly shows that the workforce are determined to fight these unfair cuts.

“Cityclean employees have delivered over £7.5 million of efficiency savings for the council while still maintaining a record satisfaction rating of over 89 per cent in the most recent survey of the public.

“In return they have been rewarded with three years of pay freezes and now the council is seeking to implement cuts to their take home pay of up to £4,000 a head.

“Having stood on a platform of fighting austerity and defending workers’ rights, the Green Party should now be ashamed that their leader, Jason Kitcat, is seeking to slash and burn the terms and conditions of some of the lowest paid staff in the council.

“While our members do not take strike action lightly, they have no option but to defend themselves from these savage cuts.

“At a meeting of the workforce this morning (Friday 7 June) they have personally asked me to thank the public for the overwhelming support they have received, with over 1,500 residents signing petition on our website and posters in support appearing in windows throughout the city.”

The council said that the proposed changes to pay and allowances were necessary to simplify the system and ensure that everyone was treated fairly – as the law requires.

Ms Thompson said: “I am very disappointed that we are facing official industrial action.

“We will continue to have meaningful discussions with union colleagues to try to avoid this action if at all possible.

“I can’t say strongly enough how sorry I am that we are in this situation.

“It will unfortunately inevitably mean more disruption to our refuse and recycling service and I would like to apologise to residents for the problems we are likely to encounter over the coming weeks.

“The council needs to have a fair, consistent and transparent pay and allowances system for all staff while minimising losses.

“This is not about making savings. More people gain through these proposals than lose and anybody who is facing a loss will be compensated.”