The bitter Birmingham bin strike has reached a grim eight-month milestone today, with union leaders pressing the city council to restart negotiations as more workers face job losses and residents endure ongoing disruption.
Workers 'Thrown Out Like Rotting Fruit'
Derek, a bin truck driver with 33 years of service, has described being 'thrown out like rotten fruit in a supermarket' after leaving his position due to cuts in pay and grading. He is among dozens of waste service staff who have departed the council this year as part of a major restructuring.
The situation is set to worsen in the run-up to Christmas, with more staff expected to receive final redundancy notices after the council declared it had no alternative.
Eight Months of Disruption and Health Concerns
Today marks exactly eight months since the all-out strike began on March 11th. Since that date, there have been no kerbside collections of recycling or green waste across Birmingham, leading to soaring flytipping rates.
At one stage, the city was declared a public health emergency zone with accumulating rubbish and rat infestations drawing international headlines. The situation has somewhat improved after the council brought in additional agency staff and secured an injunction to prevent striking workers from blocking bin lorries leaving depots.
Council Walks Away from Negotiations
Birmingham City Council withdrew from talks hosted by the conciliation service Acas during the summer, claiming they had done everything possible to satisfy union demands. The council is now actively making remaining affected staff redundant.
Defiant bin workers continue their strike action, receiving unexpected support from some of the agency staff brought in to replace them.
Council leader Cllr John Cotton confirmed this week that he hadn't participated directly in any negotiations between the council and union during the dispute, stating that this responsibility fell to senior officers including managing director Joanne Roney.
Cotton has maintained that the bins service requires reform due to poor performance and that no agreement could be reached that might risk additional equal pay claims. When questioned about when he anticipated the strike concluding, he declined to provide a timeline, raising the possibility of it continuing into the new year.
Growing Public Support for Striking Workers
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham reported that the union has generated substantial support among residents and businesses. According to the union, approximately 6,000 households in Birmingham are now displaying posters or bin stickers backing the refuse workers.
Furthermore, more than 150 businesses, faith groups, and community organisations have pledged support to Unite's campaign urging the council to resume talks. Supporters include Central Jamia Mosque Ghamkol Sharif, Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Pentecostal City Mission Church, and Acocks Green Boxing Gym.
Unite organisers have knocked on 15,181 doors across 141 residential streets in 17 council wards, speaking directly to 6,366 residents. An impressive 90.3% of those contacted (5,746 households) agreed to display a bin sticker or window poster.
The union wrote to council leader Cotton at the beginning of November requesting fresh negotiations to resolve the bin strike but has yet to receive a response.
Graham stated: 'The people of Birmingham are fed up with the council's refusal to enter negotiations to end the bin strikes. The council is wasting millions of pounds fighting a dispute that could be resolved fairly for a fraction of the cost.'
She added: 'Meanwhile residents continue to suffer and recycling rates are at rock bottom. Unite stands ready to begin talks with the council at any time to find a fair deal for Birmingham's bin workers. That is the only way that strikes will end.'
The union has also called for an independent investigation after an employment agency manager was recorded warning bin workers not to join picket lines in what was described as an attempt at 'blacklisting'. Birmingham City Council stated it conducted an investigation and found 'no evidence of blacklisting'.
