UNION leaders have announced a deal that ends a week-long garbage dispute, with some garbage workers set for a pay rise of more than 20%.
GMB members have voted to accept the latest wage offer from Adur and Worthing councils and suspend the strike.
The wage agreement will result in an increase of 8.2% for waste loaders, 10.4% for cleaner drivers and 20.7% for certain truck drivers.
The deal includes improved weekend and holiday pay for cleaning crews and increased specialist skills payments for truck drivers.
Regional organizer Gary Palmer said the offer is a tribute to their members’ dedication and determination for a settlement that reflects their work.
He said: “It would have been very easy for them to just accept the award they were offered, but they collectively decided to say that I am worth more than that.
“They were told it was a lot – but they decided to judge for themselves what they were worth.
“We now have an agreement that is not lower than inflation, but rather reflects market rates for this type of work and keeps them ahead of the cost of living crisis.
“GMB would like to thank the residents and businesses of Adur and Worthing for their support and understanding throughout this dispute.
“It once again shows the value of being in a union, and the message is clear – anyone else looking to improve their pay should call GMB.”
Although the industrial action has been called off, the union has agreed with councils on an option to bring striking members back until November if commitments are not honored within an agreed deadline.
A spokesperson for Adur and Worthing Councils said: ‘We are pleased that all parties have found a way to end this strike and thank residents and businesses for their patience during this difficult time.
“At all times, we have sought to find a way to recognize the excellent work done by the staff of this service while being aware that our budgets are tight and that we must also protect other services. We think we can do it with this agreement which gives additional remuneration to the staff.
“What we and our staff want to do now is continue to catch up to get the backlog off our streets as soon as possible. We will contact our commercial customers shortly who had to seek alternative arrangements during the strike and will work to re-establish green waste collections as soon as possible after the backlog of residual and recyclable waste is resolved.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-21 16:45:00
