The leader of Birmingham Labour has insisted a previously-announced bins strike 'deal' could still get over the line despite the council saying one 'does not exist'. The strike, which has dragged on now for around 17 months, was initially triggered by a dispute between the council and Unite the union.
Prior to last month's local elections, former council leader and former Birmingham Labour leader John Cotton announced an end to the strike was 'within sight'. In particular, he said the local authority was close to settling its dispute with Unite after reaching an agreement. But the pre-election period prevented the council from making a final decision prior to May 7 – the day of the local elections. Coun Cotton went on to pledge that a 're-elected Labour administration under my leadership will work to get this deal approved as a matter of absolute priority'.
The timing of this update was met with scepticism and anger from opposition councillors however, with the council's Tory group leader describing it as a 'pathetic attempt to hold on to power before [Labour] disappear into the abyss'. With Labour ultimately losing control of the local authority in the elections and a new administration now set to take over, the council has this week clarified its position on talk over a 'deal'. The comments came after Unite warned the 'deal to end the bin strikes struck by the old political leadership hangs in the balance'. The union went on to argue that council officers and government-appointed commissioners were 'potentially ready to pull the plug, regardless of the position of the new political leadership'.
A council spokesperson said in response: 'Birmingham City Council were not party to discussions held between Unite and Labour in the run-up to local elections. Therefore, no 'deal' exists to 'hang in the balance' or 'pull the plug' on. The statement made in the run-up to the elections by the then-leader of the Labour group was made in a political capacity and not as the leader of the council.'
'Since the commencement of industrial action, the council has worked diligently to find a route to a lawful, reasonable and industrially acceptable settlement of the waste dispute,' they continued. 'We will continue to do so with the new leadership and administration of the council, when it is formed, and would urge Unite to engage with us also.'
Coun Nicky Brennan, the new leader of Birmingham Labour, suggested in response that the bins strike 'deal' previously announced by John Cotton is still very much in play. It is understood that Coun Brennan has been involved in positive talks with other group leaders on the council to see if the new administration can move forward with that agreement. 'I am clear that, following months of negotiations, Labour reached a position where a new offer could be made to end the strike,' Coun Brennan argued. 'We will work from opposition to get this deal over the line.'
Unite has also issued a response in support of the 'deal', with Unite general secretary Sharon Graham saying today: 'As ACAS chair Lord Brendan Barber and Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker have both said, the deal to end this dispute has been negotiated and agreed. We look forward to the elected members of the council agreeing the process for the implementation of the deal, so the usual ballot of members can take place. Workers and residents have put up with enough of the constant dither and delay. This is a good deal for workers and residents and it needs to be swiftly finalised.'
Earlier today, there was acknowledgement from a former Labour cabinet member that the agreement was 'never considered through the proper governance processes of the city council'. 'It did not pass through the statutory officers and amounted only to a statement of intent by the former Leader, without the necessary legal or financial scrutiny,' Coun Majid Mahmood said. 'Everyone wants to see Birmingham's waste dispute resolved and full services restored for residents as quickly as possible. However, any agreement must be lawful, financially sustainable and unequivocally in the best interests of the city and its taxpayers. The new administration will no doubt continue to engage constructively with all parties. However, any resolution must be legally robust, financially defensible, fair to workers, fair to residents and fully compliant with the council's statutory obligations and fiduciary responsibilities.'
It will be the job of the council's new political new leadership and administration, which could be decided at a critical meeting tonight, to find a resolution to this ongoing situation. Whether that involves the 'agreement' previously announced by John Cotton remains to be seen. But the council has made its position very clear this week, which is that a 'deal does not exist' as it stands due to it arising from discussions between Labour and Unite that it was not party to. And as Coun Mahmood said in his statement, the 'agreement' announced by John Cotton did not go through the 'proper governance processes of the city council'. Talks have been underway to try and form a stable coalition between various groups but both Labour and Reform UK have ruled themselves out of getting involved, instead committing to opposition roles. The bins strike dispute, triggered over the loss of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role, saw the previous Labour administration at the council argued that a fair offer had been made to striking workers, despite claims that they face a pay cut of £8,000.
