GMB Trio Cleared After Court Drama Over Bin Lorry Protest
Brighton Magistrates Court witnessed a heated scene as three GMB Union officers faced charges of wilful obstruction of a highway. The so-called ‘GMB Three’ were arrested amid a lawful industrial dispute with waste giant Biffa in May 2022. But they fiercely denied all allegations.
Supporters Rally Outside Court
Before the hearing, the ‘GMB Three’ drew a crowd of supporters outside the court. Demonstrators staged a protest and a dramatic bin lorry drive-by to back the union officers.
Case Collapses: No Evidence, No Conviction
Shock twist on Friday as the case against the officers crumbled. The Crown failed to provide any evidence, leading to a not guilty verdict at Brighton Law Courts.
Gary Palmer, one of the cleared officers, slammed the case as “always a political case about the rights of people during a cost of living crisis to win enough money to look after their families.”
Palmer slammed Biffa and the police for trying to crush lawful protest. He explained that union members were simply fighting for a fair pay rise.
He wrapped up by urging workers to join the GMB, saying the verdict proves why standing together matters when demanding better pay and conditions at work.
