Birmingham bin chaos: Striking workers face sack as talks resume amid mounting rubbish piles
31 March 2025, 07:37
A fresh round of talks between the Unite Union and Birmingham City Council will begin today in a last-ditch attempt to end the industrial action, as striking workers were told if they don’t take a deal they’ll be sacked.
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All out strike action by the refuse collectors began four weeks ago on March 11 in a row over pay and conditions, as the city council proposed scrapping the ‘Grade 3 Critical Safety Officer’ role, and returning staff to the grade 2 role.
Weeks’ worth of rubbish has piled up on the streets across Birmingham, with some residents reporting they’ve seen ‘rats the size of cats’ eating the waste across the city.
There’s also concerns that the strike could lead to a ‘Public Health Emergency’.
The Labour Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, asked Unite to suspend the strike action over fears of people becoming ill due to the unemptied bins.
Referring to the workers on the picket line, Mr Parker said: “The city cannot be held to ransom by such a small number of people.”
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Unite have told LBC the changes will cost their workers £8,000 per year in a pay cut.
Onay Kasab, the National lead for the Union said: “It means the vast majority of staff working in refuse in Birmingham will be on just above the national minimum wage. That's a disgrace.”
“The council's position and the fact that we are going back into talks on Monday is really testing my eternal optimism. I'm always optimistic, always want to talk. We try and resolve these things now.
"We could have just walked away after the way they behaved today, but we're not. We're going to turn up on Monday and hope that they have had a change of heart and engage in serious discussion with us.”
Birmingham City Council released a statement after the talks collapsed on Thursday (March 27) without a deal being reached: “It is regrettable that it has come to this, the council has consistently tried to find a solution to the industrial action.
"We have made a very fair offer which means that no worker need lose any money. That offer remains open.
“We confirm that regrettably we have informed Unite representatives that next week we will formally notify and enter a period of collective consultation regarding compulsory redundancies for those who have declined all offers on the table.
“This is about securing a better waste service for the people of Birmingham. We thank staff who are working under difficult conditions and recognise the frustration of residents for which we apologise.”
