Back Birmingham's Refuse Workers
Strikes by over 350 Birmingham bin workers to intensify
Since the council effectively declared bankruptcy in September 2023, refuse workers have accepted cuts to their pay and terms and conditions and worked with management in good faith to ensure services continued.
But now strikes by 350 workers will intensify
This dispute was sparked by the council’s decision to abolish the safety critical Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role - resulting in pay cuts of up £8,000 for 150 workers – as well as a catalogue of cuts across a service that is already on its knees.
The service is also facing greater pressures from ageing vehicles and the lack of staff with no new full time hires. With an increasing reliance on agency staff, although many have worked for the refuse service for years, service pressures are increasing, recycling rates are below average and public abuse and anger has been amplified.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will not stand by and allow the council and this Labour government to inflict these savage pay cuts on workers. It is completely unjustified and a clear escalation of the dispute. It will not be accepted. No worker should be expected to lose these eye-watering amounts of money from their pay packet."
Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou said: “Unite’s door remains open to meaningful discussions with the council to resolving this dispute. It is the council that bears the responsibility … its behaviour towards its directly employed staff is vindictive and does nothing to solve the operational problems that are staring it in the face.”
Background details and what you can do
Since the council effectively declared itself bankrupt last September, refuse staff represented by Unite have worked with management in good faith to ensure services continue to operate despite detrimental impacts to their pay and working conditions. Refuse staff have worked with management and:
- Accepted route changes
- Dealt with greater safety pressures
- Managed increased vehicle age and failures
- Accepted cuts to overtime allowances
- Seen reductions in night time allowances
The response from management has been to ask for more. More job cuts, more reductions in roles and safety, more reliance on agency staff, and less investment in the service including in a modern well managed vehicle fleet. The danger is:
- Increasing vehicle failure with an ageing fleet
- Greater safety pressures as vehicles fail
- Lower recycling rates
- As service run into the ground and ripe for privatisation
- Sign the petition to the lead commissioner Max Caller and council leader cllr John Cotton
- Question the auditors | What is Grant Thornton's track record?
- Send a message of solidarity to the workers
Take action | Support Birmingham's refuse workers and get your rubbish and recycling collected and the dispute sorted
Sign the petition to the lead commissioner Max Caller and council leader cllr John CottonNews and updates
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Read moreBirmingham bin dispute | Video updates
❓ Could you handle an £8,000 pay cut? Our members aren’t striking for more money; they’re taking a stand to protect what they already have. Updates from the Unite team on the ground in the ongoing Birmingham refuse workers' dispute. Hear from workers on the ground, plus Unite general secretary Sharon Graham and Unite lead officer Onay Kasab.
