Bin workers continuing to strike after rejecting three pay rise offers have been warned not to expect a fourth as the industrial action reached its fifth day.

Labour leaders at Canterbury City Council (CCC) say other services would have to be cut to fund any salary increases higher than those already turned down by refuse collectors.

In an open letter published on Monday, three members said the authority is “down to the bare bones” and they are not prepared to take money away from services which, for example, support the homeless, and repair childrens’ play areas.

“We were elected to protect services just like those so proposing cuts is a line we cannot cross,” say CCC leader Cllr Alan Baldock, Cllr Charlotte Cornell, cabinet member of waste and recycling, heritage and open spaces and Cllr Connie Nolan, for safety and engagement, community and culture.

However, one of its recipients, Gary Palmer, regional organiser at GMB, described the letter as “insulting” and said the “whole city... is now watching this disaster unfold.”

The councillors’ stark warning comes as refuse workers who are members of the GMB union continue to strike.

KentOnline has examined the ins and outs of the pay dispute with Canenco- the waste contractor set up and owned by the city council.

What areas are impacted, and to what extent?

Strike action is taking place in Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable, however it’s not the case that no waste is being collected, and the level of collection appears to vary day by day.

For example, today all black bins were collected in the Herne Bay area, but throughout no recycling was collected.

There were also food waste crews, and two garden waste crews working.

Yesterday, workers emptied 54% of black bins, with a full black bin service taking place in Whitstable.

Arrangements have also been made for residents who missed out on household waste and recycling collections so far.

They will be able to put out their recycling in a container, but not bin bags, and general rubbish in black bags, at their next collection on Wednesday, July 19, July 20, July 21 and Monday, July 24 and July 25.

The council, who has apologised for any inconvenience caused, stressed this arrangement is a one-off, and they cannot accept waste for garden collections.

They also recommended that those who are able to, book a slot at their local recycling centre and take their refuse there themselves.

How many refuse workers are currently collecting waste?

This number appears to vary. CCC says it needs 81 frontline staff to carry out a full waste service each day. Yesterday, 33 worked, including three agency staff, but there were also people who didn’t due to holiday.

However today there were 38 people collecting waste in the Canterbury district. The council says around 25% is on strike, but this changes from day to day.

When will the strikes end?

On Wednesday last week, bin collectors downed their tools, and there is no date for when the strikes are set to conclude.

GMB regional organiser Frank Macklin warned on Thursday, July 6, that the action “has only just started”, arguing the dispute could have been resolved if not for “if it weren’t for the council and the employer pointing the finger at one another.”

“If this strike continues, rubbish will be piling up completely unnecessarily.

“These piles of rubbish could be avoided if workers were only paid the going rate.

For the council’s part, today, a spokesman described the the strikes as a “fluid situation”, and warned further strike action may continue in the coming days.

Why are refuse workers striking?

Since April, Canenco has made three pay offers to refuse workers. The most recent was proposed on Friday last week, and rejected on Monday, following a members’ ballot.

Canenco said the offer represents a 14.9% pay increase for drivers and 8.9% for loaders.

This equated, they said, to a salary of £30,324 for drivers, and £23, 616 for loaders.

GMB secured the mandate for strike action in April, but had agreed to suspend the walkout pending talks.

The union says the offer translates to a real terms wage increase of less than 1%, and argue their members deserve a “fair wage”.

Regional organiser Mr Macklin said: “The waste has already started to pile up and for that, the GMB and our members apologise but we’re not asking for the moon. They just want a decent wage so they can put food on the table for their families because applause doesn’t put meals on the table.”

He argued: “When we talk about our successes, where our members have won big rises, we’re not talking about anything massive. We’re not seeing bin men going onto premiership players' wages, we’re seeing them going on to something they can actually live on.

“These guys are doing one of the top ten most dangerous jobs in the UK. The public regularly abuses them, they get assaulted just going about their daily duties, they may even get hit by a car while on the job, as well as the risk of muscular skeletal injuries from all the heavy lifting. They deserve a fair wage.”

What does the open letter say in detail?

On Monday this week, Cllrs Baldock, Cornell and Nolan reiterated that there is no more money to pay for salary increases for Canenco staff.

The intervention came in a letter addressed to David Maidman, managing director at Canenco, Gary Palmer, regional organiser at GMB, Mark Hammond, regional organiser at Unison and Kate Marr, area organiser at Unison, which is Canenco’s recognised union.

They said the offer “represents significant movement on Canenco’s part”, and they recognise the cost-of-living-crisis is causing “real misery”.

They went on: “We know there is absolutely no escape from rising food, energy, fuel and other costs.

“But the council and its finances are not immune from those very same pressures.

“We have been clear with Canenco and take the opportunity to repeat our message to you collectively, there is no more money that the council can use to pay for pay increases for Canenco staff.”

In a stark message, the trio said: “The council is down to the bare bones. Any more money would have to come from cutting back the services Canenco provides after a public consultation and/or by moving money away from vital council-run frontline services...”

The letter ended with the councillors urging GMB members to consider Canenco’s latest offer in light of the letter, so they can resolve the issue.

In response, Mr Palmer said GMB striking members were left incredulous by the letter.

He said: “You were warned before you took control of the council this dispute was anticipated. You have had plenty of time to resolve it, but you have failed. In the first 10 weeks of Labour running Canterbury, the bins are piling up, morale among the workforce is at rock bottom and you’ve now added insult to injury with this letter.”

He went on: “GMB members on strike at Canenco today were incredulous at the tone and content of your letter. They are hard workers who go out in all weathers to keep this city clean, in the boiling hot and the pouring rain. They take tremendous pride in the work they do. They keep this city clean and, as we have seen over the last few days, the city depends on them.

“You refer to GMB in the abstract but actually we are a democratic organisation and 98 per cent of our members - and therefore your workers - rejected the offer because it wasn’t good enough.”