People across Brighton and Hove have complained about missed rubbish collections just weeks after the council said that the service had improved.
In the past fortnight, residents in Round Hill, Hanover, Hollingbury and Patcham have contacted their ward councillors about missed collections.
Figures released by Brighton and Hove City Council show that the number of missed collections in the first four weeks of January totalled 705.
The weekly numbers ranged from a low of 115 in the first week to a high of 218 in the week commencing Monday 15 January.
On Monday 29 January the council started briefing unions and staff about the cuts contained in the council’s draft budget for the 2024-25 financial year.
And in the week commencing Monday 29 January, some 731 missed collections were reported – more than the whole of the previous four weeks.
In the same week, 48 Cityclean vehicles – the equivalent of more than four in five – were marked as “defective” and out of action for at least part of a day.
In the first full week of February, people reported some 1,751 missed collections – more than the previous five weeks put together – and 43 vehicles were listed as “defective”.
Despite the deterioration, the figures for the first six weeks of this year are better than they were a year ago, with more than 3,000 missed collections compared with more than 4,500.
On Friday 9 February, firefighters were called out to a blaze in a bin lorry at the council’s Cityclean depot in Hollingdean. The fire damaged a second vehicle.
And on Monday 12 February the GMB union, which represents rubbish, recycling and street cleaning workers and drivers, threatened strike action over proposed job losses and changes to how they worked.
A report to the council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee last month said that missed collections were down 90 per cent in December compared with August – from 2,552 to 205.
The improvements followed an excoriating report by barrister Aileen McColgan which followed whistleblower claims. She found a toxic culture of violence and intimidation at the Hollngdean depot and criticised some unnamed GMB union reps.
Round Hill resident Dominic Furlong said that his rubbish had not been collected for the past two weeks and he was aware of other roads in the area with missed collections.
Mr Furlong said: “It’s been noticed that similar issues with missed rubbish collections occurred about two years ago just before the previous strikes.
“It made me think perhaps collections are deliberately missed in order to increase complaints, thereby applying greater pressure on the council to agree to strikers’ demands.
“At the very least, the council should make data on missed collections by ward and over time publicly available. This would give residents a sense of context over service levels and provide a tool for greater accountability.”
Mr Furlong contacted Green councillor Raphael Hill, who represents Round Hill, to ask why he could not report a missed collection after 3pm on the scheduled day.
He questioned the practical purpose of reporting missed collections, saying that nothing seemed to happen.
Councillor Hill said: “The last couple of weeks have left residents with dangerously overflowing bins in Round Hill which is unacceptable.
“While most streets had collections this week, some streets such as Crescent Road still urgently need their collections.
“I am concerned by Dominic Furlong’s comment that the reporting tool is not working after 3pm on the scheduled collection day. I hope that can be resolved quickly.”
Conservative councillor Alistair McNair said that there were similar problems in his ward, Patcham and Hollingbury.
Councillor McNair, leader of the Conservatives, said that Church Hill, Denton Drive, Graham Avenue, Overhill Gardens, The Woodlands, Court Close and Portfield Avenue had all experienced missed collections in the past fortnight.
He said: “Job cuts might hit Cityclean hard. They may or may not be wise. But residents are tired of not having a reliable service which they are paying for.
“Whatever it is, Cityclean still appears to be struggling. Is Labour helping or hindering the situation?
“The culture change will take time and staff need our understanding. But it is hard not to be disappointed that the service, seemingly doing so well, appears to be going backwards again. Residents need to feel that progress is being made.”
Labour councillor Tim Rowkins, who chairs the council’s City Environment, South Downs and the Sea Committee, said: “Since the publication of the inquiry into Cityclean, we’ve been working closely with all the staff at the depot, including the GMB, to improve the service for our residents and create a better and safer workplace culture for our staff.
“There has been significantly better performance in recent months, with fewer missed bins. We are proud of all the work that has been ongoing by our valued staff to achieve this.
“We’ve always been clear that fundamental changes are needed. This is why we’re consulting with the workforce on working practices before making any decisions.
“We agree that the rounds need restructuring in order to ensure they are balanced. The digital system to aid this process has been procured and we are currently preparing its rollout.
Councillor Rowkins added: “Our aim is to improve efficiency and invest in the quality of the working environment at the depot.
“We welcome contact and discussion with both our recognised trade unions, including on the issues raised by the GMB, and look forward to further discussions with them next week.”
Members of the GMB union have voted 95 per cent in favour of balloting for a strike. The vote came less than two weeks after the council’s draft budget was published on Wednesday 31 January.
Trade unions and other political groups were briefed about the potential impact of job losses before publication.
A Twitter account used by GMB Sussex branch secretary Mark Turner, who has been off sick since the McColgan report was published last autumn, promised “chaos set to hit the city of Brighton”. It was one of a series of tweets that have since been deleted.
Yes there’s going to be a strike its been orcestrated by Mark Turner in revenge for his suspension and the dismissal of a rep for bringing weapons into the depot.
The GMB have not once commented on the fact that weapons were found in their office at the depot..
If you look at the issues they have balloted on its nonsense. Yes there are a high number of vehicle defects , that’s what happens when idiots sabotage the vehicles. The drying room doesn’t work? Yes it does no one uses the dryer and you think people might have thought they might get a bit wet when signed up for an outdoor job. Chaos at the tip? Well organise yourselves to prevent this, your paid a small fortune so earn it
All the while the GMB continue their bullying behavior things will never improve. Racism , homophobia, misogyny, suicide and weapons are not high prioritise for this rotten union. Overflowing bins and chaos for residents clearly are.
I imagine the GMB won’t comment on the weapons as it will leave a record and they probably hope the whole incident will be forgotten out. Were the police involved? They usually give vague comments on cases
As much as I believe in the idea of trade unions, unfortunately in this day and age they do not protect the underpaid and over worked like delivery drivers (food or parcels) instead they tend to look after already well paid underworked people, train drivers a great example.
Unfortunately the GMB is the main offender. Striking for no reason, reps thinking they own the gaff and are unaccountable to management. Unfortunately under the last few administrations this lot have been able to get their roots in deep. It will take more than sacking 2 idiots to clear out the rot. 45 vehicles out of action certainly does sound like sabotage. Management should be setting up covert CCTV in their depot and it should be instant dismissal / criminal damage.
If Unions cause interference in public services then it should be legislated that Unions will be barred from access to said Public Service, Ronald Reagan (US President) got it right when the air traffic controllers went on strike, they refused to work he sacked them, we need that kind of enablement in the UK to keep idiot power out of Public services. The whole concept of Trade Unions is ideal for the working man not to be held in slavery and hideous conditions as would be without the Unions, but what goes on at Cityclean has nothing to do with Union business, problem is,,,, plenty more like them. Self glorified micro Emperors.
That’s kind of the point of strike action, Stan. To cause interference. Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the Trade Union Act 2016 cover the legal aspects of this pretty well, and there are special considerations within this for this essential service.
That was my point Benjamin, to make it illegal for public services being reduced to zero by people who have no interest in service only in “control”, minimum services should be implemented by law and not decided by Unions, we do need the Trade Unions but we also need at a minimum service which cannot be affected by said Trade Unions. and whether we like it or not we have to pay for these services via taxes therefore any control should not be anywhere any Trade Union.
The government did pass legislation to keep miimum service levels operating during industrial action but i dont think anyones tried it yet
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/minimum-service-levels-msl-issuing-work-notices/minimum-service-levels-issuing-work-notices-a-guide-for-employers-trade-unions-and-workers
I think that was a guideline not legislation,,, not enforceable.
Stan yes there IS legislation on minimum service levels.
LNER said they were going to use it during the last train strike. Until ASLEF announced extra strike dates because of that.
LNER soon backed down because implementing the so called minimum service level would have actually created more disruption over several days than a one day strike would have done.
It does seem kind of inevitable , they go on strike every other year like clockwork. It looks like the GMB know they cannot recover their public image after everything that has been exposed so they are carrying out a scorched earth policy of causing maximum disruption. I wonder what the national GMB make of all this. The whole scandal would make a great documentary
National GMB didn’t seem to do much when their own KC report found them to be institutionally sexist so don’t hold your breath about them getting involved in a local issue no matter how shocking the findings are.
Will there be strikes?
Ask Mystic Mark – he can see the future
This is what happens when you mess with the ‘super 6’ (Long standing ex and current gmb reps)
They miss bins purposely, only part empty bins, skim the tops so when they strike maximum impact can cause chaos in a matter of days.
Festering weeks old rubbish at the bottom of every bin accross the city not collected.
Sabotage to trucks. Missed collections.. going the long way to do work purposefully creating havoc for residents, and double costs for the council tax payers , who then understandably complain, contacting the press.
Flats left with combustible waste festering for weeks. They don’t care about the residents safety. They have had their noses put of joint, the main steward sacked for holding weapons in his office as well as victiming non members and bullying anyone that dares to have a different opinion.
So they hold the city to ransom just because they can.
The TUC should disband these hooligans.
Mark Turner is managing to give Cityclean – surely in multifold breach of contract with Brighton and Hove City Council with its SLAs – and Unions a bad name simultaneously.
Is it true Cityclean have just hired a new CEO who lives in Purley ? If so, let us hope they are a hands on CEO and not a shirking from home individual.
Showing your ignorance again there Barry
City clean is part of the council and not a private company. There is no CEO of Cityclean.
Interesting – a dust cart did drive along my road this week, though no rubbish was collected. If there are trackers on the dust carts, I wonder if missed refuse collection reports in roads they have passed along won’t be counted.
Sacking them all sounds a good idea. If we are not allowed to withhold our soon to be increased council tax, then essential services should not be allowed to go on strike especially as they are paid exorbitantly and have therefore caused redundancies to be necessary. It sounds like the Hollingdean depot still needs sorting out.
I wish there was a loophole to let them go on strike permanently and just get the rubbish collected another way. I wonder how long the GMB would pay them to go on strike for before the money dried up.
No rubbish or garden waste collection this week where I live in Patcham. Reported but, from past experience, nothing obvious happens – such as a collection before the next scheduled one.
Garden waste was collected up my way in Patcham, no rubbish though.
Move to Newhaven fantastic waste service including weekly general waste and food waste collection and one bin recycling collected fortnightly in the eight years I’ve lived here I’ve had one missed collection.
Why do you put up with city clean? They are a disgrace.
The GMB do not have a stranglehold over the bin depots there and you don’t have councillor’s and MPs who cheer lead them on from the picket lines. This could all change though and then your bins bins will be missed regularly and you will experience regular strikes as the norm.
If 4 out of 5 vehicles are defective or off the road, that sounds like sabotage, which is a criminal offence.
Police investigation?
At best, heads need to roll for allowing this inexcusable state of negligence.
I think the police investigated last time the vehicles were being sabotaged just before their last strike and it didnt go anywhere.
This happens in the lead up to every strike. Vehicles mysterious develop defects , the mechanics go slow and don’t fix them. GMB blame the management. Sickness goes through the roof.
Absolutley nothing will be collected in the week before the strike.
Was it possibly one of those e cigarettes that caused the fire I wonder?
E cigarettes, bikes and cars are an absolute menace. Not only do they spontaneously combust, the weight of these vehicles are damaging our roads. The bikes go off like half a dozen hand grenades! Yet the Council is intent on putting them all around our city! Are they deliberately trying to blow us up?
After being told about the dangers of e cigarettes setting fire to refuse trucks, strangely, the very next day, I saw a truck on fire in the road next to mine.
Houston! We have a Problem!!!
The usual GMB ‘procedure’ from the Turner playbook is to strike in one place, get that settled (usually with a fat pay rise,even though they initially claim it isn’t about pay) and they then move along the coast doing the same thing in each place. I did ask somewhere what’s happening about the fact that the GMB froze out Unison at the depot, although they may not be any more reasonable. Not heard any more about that.
However, Lib whatever her name is, the new GMB mouthpiece, seems to say exactly the same thing wherever she’s promoting strike action and that’s been all over the southern area, from ambulances to anything where there’s a heavy GMB presence.
Might we hope that LRM won’t be standing on the picket line this time round, else that will alienate more voters with a GE coming up! Amazing isn’t it – the KC itemises many many points of appalling behaviour and practices at the depot, and the report made hard/shocking reading for quite a few of us – except the GMB obviously – many of them told to her by staff/operatives. The council accepts all of it in full and we have got precisely nowhere at all.
Over to you then, Bella Sankey, ‘proud member of the GMB’. We are all watching you.
Re Lyod Russel Moyle this one didn’t age well
https://twitter.com/lloyd_rm/status/1445367456730656775
Yes him and Nancy platts regularly turned up to the picket lines criticising any management who were trying to stop the awful behaviour that was reported by the KC. Both gone quiet now though about it now though.
Lib Whitfield: GMB members work hard to deliver a service
Do you think she managed to keep a straight face whilst typing that?
I think that LRM has recently been trying to re-position himself as an adult and rather less far left person than previously. However, his promotion of Mistry and Gajjar as fantastic Labour candidates for QP and KT seems to have left him with rotten egg all over his face, especially as somewhere it was said that he was one of the assentors for their candidacy. I don’t know exactly what an assentor is, but presumably he signed something helping them to stand. When the truth about them came out he had little option but to make a police complaint in an attempt to save his own eggy skin. He will survive as MP, I daresay, because nobody else seems to be able to muster a halfway credible candidate to take him on. However, the more candidates that stand in the GE, whoever they are, will take votes away from him.
His presence on past picket lines at least bumped up the pathetic numbers who were standing outside the depot, mostly looking like obese thugs. Doesn’t matter much about Nancy now, as she’s gone, but she wasn’t all bad, despite her political agenda.
As for Lib W, I doubt she has to type anything, as her parrot-speak must be a ‘standard letter’ in the GMB computer, so you just press the button marked ‘outrage and strike threat’ to print the script. As I’ve said before, interesting profile on Linked in – especially this bit.
“Extensive experience in leading innovative and progressive Equality and diversity campaigns accross different industries including Menopause campaigns and Neurodiversity campaigns”
I don’t really think any of that is a major qualification for her current position in the Hollingdean affair, although her members there may well be neurodiverse in some form. I just call them sheep.
Our bins in hove not collected again are they on strike already