A leaked internal report from Birmingham City Council has revealed that officials are considering privatising the city's bin collection service as a potential solution to the ongoing 19-month strike dispute. The document, signed off by managing director Joanne Roney in March, outlines privatisation as a way to 'de-risk' future industrial action, but warns that such a move should not be considered before 2028 due to the current turmoil.
Privatisation as a De-Risking Strategy
The report, produced by council officials exploring how to best end the strike, sets out options for outsourcing the bin service to private operators. Council chiefs have acknowledged that Birmingham would not be attractive to private companies given the size of the challenge and the ongoing dispute with Unite. The document states that officials would need to 'transform and optimise the service first...then consider and undertake a market engagement-procurement process.'
Scale of the Contract
Any private contract would involve collecting rubbish from 470,000 properties, making it potentially the biggest local authority waste contract in the country. The report warns that outsourcing 'does not necessarily translate into a cheaper or less complex set of contractual arrangements' and would require a business case costing over £1.5 million.
National Context
Around half of all local authorities already fully or partly outsource their waste collection services, according to the report. This suggests that Birmingham's consideration of privatisation is part of a broader trend, though the scale of the city's contract would be unprecedented.
Strike Background
The ongoing strike, which has lasted 19 months, has led to piles of rubbish accumulating in streets across Birmingham. The leaked report indicates that the council is actively seeking ways to resolve the dispute, with privatisation being one of several options under consideration.
