Brighton bin strike: Rubbish piles up as dispute enters second week

Piles of rubbish are blocking pavements as a bin strike in Brighton enters its second week.

Bin bags have been piled high and are spilling over pathways, and residents have reported horrendous smells across Brighton and Hove due to the pile-up.

The strike could last until mid-November after talks between the GMB union and Green-led council broke down.

The GMB called the action over changes of duties, drivers being removed from long-standing rounds and pay.

They announced a three day pause of the industrial action would come into force on 18 October.

One angry resident told the BBC of being able to "smell the rubbish before you can see it".

With the build-up increasing the council is urging people to triple bag their waste before putting it out and people living in areas with communal bins are being urged to keep their rubbish at home where possible.

Jamie Lloyd, deputy chair of Brighton & Hove City Council's environment, transport and sustainability committee, apologised for the build-up of waste caused by the ongoing dispute.

He said: "It's an appalling situation and we are dedicated to getting this sorted out as quickly as possible."

However, he claimed the demands of the union would lead to "catastrophic cuts in other services".

He added it was time to start thinking about emergency clearance efforts but said the council did not want to appear "antagonistic" to the union by bringing in outside contractors.

Government legislation forbids the use of agency workers to replace striking staff.

The council on Monday accused the union of walking out of a meeting where a "significant" offer had been made before hearing all the details.

Union bosses denied the claims, and said they walked out of negotiations because the proposal was less than previously offered.

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