City bin strike to go all-out, union says

A bin strike in Birmingham is set to go all-out, union bosses have confirmed.

More than 350 city refuse workers will walk out indefinitely from 11 March after a series of one-day strikes began in January in a row over a pay cut, Unite said.

A one-day walkout is under way, with further action on Wednesday and planned for 3, 4, 6, and 10 March before the indefinite action begins.

Birmingham City Council said the escalation would mean greater disruption to residents, despite the "fair and reasonable offer" it had made to Unite.

Unite said it had escalated the action because the council hired temporary labour to "undermine" walkouts.

General secretary Sharon Graham called the use of employment agencies "disgraceful" and added members played a "vital frontline role" in keeping the city clean.

"It is totally unacceptable that their pay has been slashed and they have been left fearful of further attacks on their jobs, pay and conditions," she said.

In response, the authority said it had offered alternatives, including LGV driver training and other equivalent roles, to workers whose wages were affected by changes to the service.

"No worker will lose the sums Unite are claiming," a spokesperson said.

They added residents deserved a better waste collection service and thanked them for their patience.

"Our door is still open, and we would encourage Unite to come back to the table," they added.

Judith lives in Brookfields, near Winson Green and Hockley - an area where residents do not have wheelie bins due to the layout of the houses.

They put their black binbags out for collection and use crates for recycling.

However, she said the situation since the strikes started had been "a nightmare", and recycling had not been collected for six weeks.

"I use a mobility scooter because I can't walk very far," she said.

"Because they didn't collect the ordinary rubbish for two weeks, which is in black bags, it was all over the pavement and I couldn't get past it... it meant I had to go on the road."

She said rubbish left behind by refuse workers included duvets and a chair.

"I still couldn't get past it, and it's really very frustrating," she said.

Some residents have told the BBC they believed piled-up waste was attracting "cat-sized" rats.

Judith explained she had sympathy for the bin workers, but was dreading how bad the problem could be if the action extended into the summer months.

"We do have a colony of seagulls," she said. "You've got cats ripping the bags to shreds, the seagulls ripping the bags to shreds, and it's just a mess."

The dispute centres on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles from some bin workers, Unite has said.

The union states this role brings safety expertise to an "often dirty and dangerous job", citing the example of the death of a Coventry bin worker last year.

It also said about 170 affected workers faced losing an average of £8,000 a year due to the decision.

The council disputed the £8,000 figure from the union, and said 17 staff who could lose a maximum of about £6,000 would have pay protection for six months, in line with its policy.

It said the transformation of the service meant the restructuring of waste operations, which was in line with national practice, and a crucial part of the authority's need to become financially sustainable.

Unite said workers were also being balloted until 10 March on whether action should extend through the spring and summer.

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