Birmingham Council Faces Fury Over Bid to Ban Bin Strike Solidarity Protests
Protesters have expressed intense anger as Birmingham City Council attempts to legally prevent demonstrations outside bin depots in support of striking workers. The council is in court today, Friday February 13, seeking an injunction against "persons unknown" to address growing disruption faced by operational bin crews during the prolonged industrial action.
Court Action Follows Major Disruption
The legal move would effectively ban protesters from delaying refuse lorries from leaving depots. This court action comes directly after a recent 'megapicket' event prompted the council to cancel all collections for an entire day. The proposed new rules would also prohibit anyone from blocking or obstructing any of the council's street management vehicles within Birmingham, including bin trucks, street scene vehicles, trade waste vehicles, and clinical waste vehicles.
The case is being heard at Birmingham High Court on Bull Street, with protesters planning to formally oppose the council's application. While an existing injunction already regulates what striking bin workers and the Unite union can do, this new injunction represents an attempt to impose constraints on anyone expressing support for the strike.
Unions Condemn 'Cowardly' Council Move
Among the organizations opposing the council's action is StrikeMap, a worker-funded group that tracks and supports industrial action across Britain and Ireland. Strike Map co-founder Henry Fowler strongly criticized the council's approach, stating: "This is an act of pure cowardice by Birmingham City Council, backed by their unelected commissioners. The council's continued escalation of this dispute has already cost taxpayers £34 million. Seeking this sweeping injunction shows they are more interested in wasting public money and hiding behind the courts than in resolving the strike."
Fowler added: "This council's contempt for its own workforce and the people of Birmingham could not be clearer. With elections coming this May, Labour councillors should start thinking about new jobs. We and our supporters will not end our solidarity with Birmingham's bin workers. You cannot ban solidarity."
Injunction Details and Union Response
The injunction application, issued on February 3, 2026, seeks to prohibit for six months any protesting activity by persons unknown—without council consent—in support of strikes organized by Unite the Union that could cause disruption. This specifically includes:
- Entering, occupying, or remaining on council depot premises
- Blocking access to council depots
The affected depots are:
- Atlas Depot, 70/72 Kings Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, B11 2AS
- Lifford Lane Depot, Ebury Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B30 3JJ
- Perry Barr Depot, Holford Drive, Birmingham, B42 2TU
- Smithfield Depot, Sherlock Street, Birmingham, B5 6HX
National trade unions have pledged full support to the Birmingham bin workers. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU), a Labour Party affiliate, has attended all three mega-pickets held over the past year. FBU General Secretary Steve Wright has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to intervene and resolve the dispute, noting that the Prime Minister recently told Parliament he was working toward ending the conflict.
Wright stated: "Solidarity is a fundamental cornerstone of the trade union movement. Throughout history, employers have tried and failed to ban effective strikes and protests because they are powerful. By seeking this injunction, Birmingham City Council has confirmed it is more interested in crushing this strike than resolving it, and is showing disregard for its own workforce."
Broader Political and Union Backlash
ASLEF, the train drivers' union, has also committed large-scale support for the striking workers. Dave Calfe, ASLEF General Secretary, commented: "Let us be absolutely clear: standing with workers in struggle is not a crime. Solidarity cannot be banned by an injunction. We are deeply disappointed by the actions of Labour's Birmingham City Council, which risk damaging the Labour Party both locally and nationally. This Labour government was elected to bring hope and deliver change for working people. Every day this dispute continues, that promise rings increasingly hollow."
Calfe concluded: "The trade union movement will stand with Birmingham's bin workers. We call on the council to return to negotiations and abandon these shameful tactics."
Prominent trade unionists and political figures have publicly opposed the council's actions through video messages, including former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Coventry South independent MP Zarah Sultana. The controversy emerges as the long-running bin strike continues to create significant tension between the council, its workforce, and their supporters.
