Cost of Adur and Worthing bin strike and pay agreement could top £1million

Around 60 waste and cleansing workers walked out between March 14 and April 8 over pay and conditions.

Although an agreement was reached between the councils and the two unions representing workers (GMB and Unison), the strike and the associated salary review has had ‘significant unbudgeted cost implications’.

In June, members of Adur and Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee will hear the total cost of the bin strike and resulting pay agreement.

The grand total is £1,818,790, according to a report to the JSC, though existing contingency budgets for pay agreements bring the net total to £1,071,340.

Both councils lost a total of £452,190 in income due to legal fees, refunds for customers, and the extra cost of dealing with waste during the strike.

Salary savings and not having to pay tipping charges bring the net loss to £170,980.