Bin collections across Birmingham faced significant disruption on Thursday morning after protestors blocked vehicles attempting to leave council depots.
Depots Blocked at Start of Day
The action, linked to an ongoing industrial dispute, caused what the council described as 'hours of delays' at both the Atlas and Smithfield waste depots. Protestors physically obstructed the fleet of dustcarts, preventing them from beginning their scheduled rounds.
Birmingham City Council took to social media to inform residents of the issue early on Thursday, January 15. In their statement, they confirmed: "Once again protesters have blocked our fleet causing delays at Atlas and Smithfield this morning."
Council Response and Service Resumption
The authority apologised for the inconvenience and advised households to leave their bins out as scheduled, promising collection as soon as crews were able to proceed. A council spokesperson later provided an update, stating: "There was a few hours delay in vehicles leaving Atlas and Smithfield depots."
Following the initial disruption at the start of the day, the protest action subsided. The council confirmed that all crews managed to depart for their routes by around 10am, allowing normal bin collection services to resume.
Ongoing Industrial Tensions
This incident marks the latest flare-up in a series of disruptions related to bin collection services in the city. While the protest caused temporary operational chaos, the council's swift communication aimed to manage resident expectations during the delay.
The council's primary message remains for residents to present their bins on their usual collection day, with crews working to complete rounds despite the morning's setbacks.
