Brighton and Hove bin strike: Low paid council staff to get pay rise

Brighton and Hove City Council said it could take weeks to clear the backlog of rubbish

Brighton and Hove City Council's lowest paid staff will get a pay rise as a result of an agreement to end the city's bin strike, a union has claimed.

The GMB union said it had cancelled further action in the city after a deal was agreed to resolve a dispute over pay and shifts.

The pay boost for Cityclean staff and other workers will add at least £2.5m to the council's annual wage bill.

Much of that must be paid for in savings or cuts to council services.

The deal to end the dispute was voted through by councillors on Tuesday.

Analysis

By Ben Weisz, political reporter, BBC Radio Sussex

Most Cityclean workers are men. Any pay boost that was only for them could allow a woman working at the same pay grade - as carers, teaching assistants, receptionists - to use equal pay law to claim a similar raise.

The council would have to have a good reason why it was paying Cityclean staff more that wasn't to do with their gender. Ending a strike doesn't count.

So, the deal gives a pay rise not just to the street cleaners and bin loaders, but to all the council's lowest paid staff.

They will soon earn at least £10.01 an hour or over £19,000 a year.

Hence a £2.5m pay deal (just under 1% of the council's annual wage bill) - less than a third of which is going to Cityclean staff directly.

Bin lorry drivers are getting a bigger raise, but the council hopes to justify this by rewriting their job descriptions.

If it doesn't manage to, then workers across the council could bring equal pay claims for similar bumps, potentially costing millions.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it could take "several weeks" to remove the piled up rubbish.

The authority said blocked pavements and vermin had become a "growing and serious" health issue.

Private contractors were called in on Sunday to start tackling the backlog, and could be used again alongside council staff to speed up the cleaning process.

The GMB union said it had received "amazing public support" over the strike

GMB regional organiser Gary Palmer said: "The council has now ratified the written commitment from the council to increase pay and end unilateral round changes.

"We will also see all lowest paid council staff, predominantly women workers, across the city get a pay rise as a consequence of this GMB Cityclean campaign."

Mr Palmer said those involved in the dispute had received "amazing public support".

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