Brighton bin strike: Councillors agree to bring in mediator if talks fail

Residents have reported bad smells across Brighton and Hove

Councillors have agreed to call in an independent mediator if talks to resolve bin strikes in Brighton fail.

Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) is in a dispute with the GMB union which has led to 10 days of industrial action and could last until at least mid-November.

At a meeting on Wednesday councillors also discussed how much any possible pay offers might cost.

Documents seen by BBC Radio Sussex show that this ranges from £0.5m to £14.2m.

The union is striking due to concerns over drivers being removed from long-standing rounds and pay.

Community clear-up

In the city centre, community cafe owner Maj Bensliman has organised a street clear-up.

He said: "It was all overflowing. It was on the street, it was on the pavement. I just did what anyone from the community would do.

"I just got people to come in and they cleared it. If it does pile up again, we'll do it again."

In Longridge Avenue, Saltdean, residents on one side of the road have their waste collected by Lewes District Council.

They have offered space in their bins to neighbours whose rubbish is collected by BHCC while the strike continues.

Resident Dee Allen said: "I wouldn't mind if my neighbours needed to use my bins."

Strike timeline

5 October: A two-week strike by refuse truck drivers begins in Brighton and Hove.

8 October: Talks between the council and the GMB break down. The union said progress was being made, but rubbish piled up on the city's streets.

11 October: Union bosses rejected a second pay offer which the council said could have ended the dispute. Another 15 days of strikes were planned from 21 October.

12 October: The GMB announced a three-day pause in the strike to come into effect on 18 October.

13 October: The council held an emergency meeting and proposed to bring in a third party mediator if talks with the GMB broke down.

The GMB has said it will not take part in further talks with BHCC until Tory councillor Joe Miller apologises for telling the council that "you can't negotiate with terrorists."

Gary Palmer from the GMB said: "We won't be entering any negotiations until the GMB receives a letter of apology. If we don't receive them, the council can kiss goodbye to any discussions."

During part of the council meeting which took place behind closed doors on Wednesday, councillors discussed how much any possible pay offers might cost.

Documents seen by BBC Radio Sussex political reporter Ben Weisz show that this ranges from £0.5m to £14.2m.

He said: "The biggest chunk of the extra cost doesn't actually come from the extra pay for Cityclean drivers, but from other council staff potentially using equal pay legislation to claim a pay rise for doing a similar level of work in other council departments."

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