Brighton bin strike: Deal agreed to end dispute

An agreement between the GMB union and council officers to resolve Brighton's bin strike has been approved by councillors.

The deal will cost the city millions of pounds, but the exact amount has not been confirmed.

It means a planned month-long strike has been called off and rubbish piled up around the city will be removed.

The council has advised residents it could take "several weeks" for communal bins to return to normal.

By Ben Weisz, political reporter, BBC Sussex

If you've ever had to smell two weeks of waste piled up in your city's streets - you just want rid of it.

That's why it was never really in doubt that the deal to end the Brighton and Hove bin strike would be voted through by councillors.

It isn't painless, though. The pay boost for Cityclean staff and other council workers will add at least £2.5m to the council's annual wage bill.

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

And even with overtime payments to GMB members to clean up the mess - it could take weeks before the city's bins are back to normal.

Contractors were called in on Sunday to start tackling the backlog, and could be used again in addition to the council workers to speed up the cleaning process.

Brighton and Hove City Council said blocked pavements and vermin had become a "growing and serious" health issue.

There were also eight reported incidents of fires relating to excess waste in recent days.

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