Eastbourne residents frustrated at bins being left uncollected despite strikes ending

Bin strikes in Eastbourne came to an end last Tuesday (January 18) as staff accepted the pay rise offered by the council.

Despite this meaning collections in the town resumed, a number of residents complained yesterday (Wednesday, January 26) to say their bins hadn’t been collected.

Lib Whitfield said her green bins had been collected but her black bin hasn’t been emptied for two or three weeks.

However, Lib said she understands the council are trying to ‘catch up’.

She said, “My bins are full but it will take them a little while to catch up.

“It is a little bit frustrating, I get that.”

Véronique Daviau said her bins weren’t collected because of broadband work going on in Cavendish Place. She said, “After a long strike our bins are full. This is not acceptable. It was easily doable.”

Tina House had her green bins taken but said it’s been six weeks since her black bins were collected.

She said, “I had to get someone else to empty it. I didn’t want to be dealing with rats and foxes and seagulls.

“Now it is filling up again and it won’t be emptied until next week.”

A spokesperson for the council said, “While we managed to bring the industrial action to a welcome conclusion, residents will recall that GMB Union representatives blocked our vehicles from leaving our depot, meaning we are still catching up with collections and will be for the next two weeks.

“Additionally, the amount of uncollected waste and recycling is greater because the GMB Union organised the first strike day on December 31, when volumes are always much higher after Christmas. This all leads to increased trips to our disposal points in Newhaven (refuse) and Hailsham (recycling), which slows the whole process down.

“The GMB Union strike caused great inconvenience, but residents can be assured that we are doing everything possible to return the situation to normal as quickly as possible.”