It has been six months since Birmingham’s bin employees walked out on strike.
The all-out strike began in March, however waste collections have been disrupted since January, leaving piles of garbage in black bin luggage cluttering the streets and residents complaining of a threat to public well being.
Unite the union stated initially of September, members had voted “overwhelmingly” to increase the motion mandate to March 2026, that means bins may stay uncollected over Christmas.
Right here is all you must find out about how the strike started, if garbage is being collected and what occurred to negotiations.
Why are employees placing?
Greater than 350 employees of the Unite union started a collection of walkouts initially of the yr and determined to escalate into indefinite strike motion on 11 March, citing worry over additional assaults on their jobs, pay, and situations.
The union claims the removing of the waste recycling and assortment officer (WRCO) function will go away about 171 employees £8,000 worse off – because the variety of employees engaged on bin lorries might be diminished from 4 to 3.
The council stated solely 17 employees might be affected and can lose far much less financially than Unite says.
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Former Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn (centre left) visiting a picket line in Tyseley, Birmingham in July. Pic: PA
It stated it scrapped the WRCO function to place the town’s waste operations according to nationwide observe and to enhance its waste assortment service.
The council stated additionally it is enterprise a “fair and transparent job evaluation” of the motive force and staff chief function, with plans to downgrade the function (that means a lower in wage).
It stated all affected employees have been supplied redeployment throughout the council on the identical pay or voluntary redundancy, and that supply stays open.
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Piles of garbage on avenue corners. Pic: Jacob King/PA
Is garbage being collected?
Because the strike continues, the council has rolled out a contingency plan that permits for one weekly assortment of waste from every property.
This contains medical waste and assisted bin collections, however doesn’t apply to recycling or backyard waste bins, that are nonetheless not being collected.
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Family waste collections occur as soon as per week. Pic: Jacob King/PA
Road cleansing crews are additionally being deployed to clear fly tipping and garbage on the streets within the worst components of the town every day.
Nevertheless, the council has stated picket traces outdoors waste assortment depots have made sticking to contingency plans tough, and has led to uneven waste assortment.
It stated in some areas wagons have been despatched out a lot later within the day, for shorter intervals of time, and others received fewer wagons out altogether.
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Putting employees outdoors depots have brought on issues for the council. Pic: PA
In July, Birmingham Metropolis Council utilized for contempt of courtroom proceedings in opposition to Unite. It claimed on the time it had “persistent evidence” of a breach of a courtroom order that was granted to attempt to cease the blocking of waste autos.
“Despite writing repeatedly to Unite for several weeks to highlight what we believe to be clear breaches of the injunction, the situation has worsened,” the council stated in a press release.
Unite has stated that because the injunction was put in place in Could, it has labored with its members and representatives to “ensure that there has been compliance with the court order”.
How the employees are feeling six months on
Six months in the past, picket traces outdoors waste refusal depots have been stronger in numbers and highly effective sufficient to cease vans leaving the depot to hold out collections.
Since then, there have been injunctions to forestall disruption, and now placing employees stand and watch as their colleagues drive previous within the vans that they too would often occupy.
“We can’t give in, we won’t give in,” says David Callaghan.
“They want to take away £8,000 from my wage and everything’s going up at the moment – gas, electric, council tax, car insurance, everything, and they’re trying to take money from our pay packets.”
Refuse employees are used to early mornings.
It is 7am they usually’re smiling, chatting and sipping tea from disposable cups – however the placards resting in opposition to railings remind us: this can be a protest.
Whereas they inform me they’re drained and disillusioned – it is clear they continue to be defiant.
“We are all here still striking for the right reasons,” says Wendy, the one girl on the picket line that day. “We aren’t asking for a pay rise, we’re asking for a good dwelling.
“I rent from Birmingham City Council, so when I was told I’m having a pay cut, they put up my rent.”
Whereas on strike, they don’t obtain cost in full and are as a substitute compensated for his or her lack of earnings by the union, at a lesser fee.
Nevertheless it’s a short-term sacrifice they’re ready to make as a way to keep away from long-term cuts to their pay.
Some advised me they’re already struggling to pay their payments, others say they’re having to ask their youngsters to assist out.
However none of them needed pity. They only need what they’ve earned – what they’ve at all times earned – for the work they like to do.
Plummeting recycling charges
Knock-on results of the economic motion are nonetheless being felt throughout the town.
A mere 15.4% of all garbage being generated within the metropolis is being recycled, in response to Birmingham Reside. That is down from 22.9% earlier than strike motion started, in response to council knowledge.
Birmingham Reside stated that at the moment, many of the waste is being despatched to landfill or incinerated, reasonably than being taken to recycling centres.
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From March: Rats chase garbage clean-up employees
Rotting meals has additionally attracted foxes, cockroaches and rats, a lot in order that the council has suspended all pest management providers apart from rat remedies.
It stated as a way to “prioritise public health” rat therapy providers are at the moment freed from cost, and those that report issues could also be supplied with a free poison bait field.
What is occurring with negotiations?
Negotiations between the council and union ended initially of July. There was no main replace since.
John Cotton, the chief of Birmingham Metropolis Council, stated on the time that the council had “reached the absolute limit of what we can offer”.
He stated the union’s calls for would depart the council with an analogous equal pay invoice that led to it declaring chapter in 2023.
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Bin luggage piled up within the Aston space of Birmingham. Pic: Jacob King/PA
Having failed to succeed in an settlement, Mr Cotton stated the council would “press ahead” with improving the waste service.
“We have been collecting an average of approximately 1,330 tonnes of kerbside waste every day, more than we did prior to industrial action, and over the last six months we have collected over 100,000 tonnes of kerbside waste,” it stated.
The council added that it needed to see the dispute finish and that it understood residents’ frustrations.
In an extra blow to negotiations, Unite stated on 2 September members had voted to increase their industrial motion mandate to March 2026.
It blamed the federal government for scuppering a deal that may have ended the dispute and stated amendments to the Employment Rights Invoice, permits councils in debt, like Birmingham, to fireside and rehire their employees.
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From March: Volunteers take motion amid bin strikes
Unite nationwide lead officer Onay Kasab stated: “Strike action will continue for as long as necessary with Unite’s unyielding support.
“The one manner this dispute will finish is with a good and cheap deal for Birmingham’s bin employees.”
The union said council leader Mr Cotton and fellow Unite Birmingham councillors have had their Unite memberships suspended.
The local government ministry said: “Unite should urgently finish this strike, it has brought on untold distress and disruption to the individuals of Birmingham and its finish is lengthy overdue.”
The place can residents take their garbage?
Birmingham Metropolis Council have advised residents that any uncollected garbage must be overlooked to be taken away as quickly because the council are capable of.
Missed bin or sack collections could be reported on-line right here.
Residents can take their waste to a family recycling centre, with waste disposal providers accessible in Kings Norton, Citadel Bromwich, Perry Barr, Sutton Coldfield and Tyseley.
The authority additionally has two cellular family waste centres, exterior visiting all areas of the town.
As recycling collections are at the moment suspended, the council is encouraging residents to take recycling to a Family Recycling Centre. Those who can not, have been advised to maintain maintain of the waste “until the next opportunity”.
