There will be a rally in support of Birmingham bin workers on the first day of strike action by agency workers employed by Job & Talent.

When: 08:30 hrs, Monday 1 December 2025
Where: Smithfield Depot, Pershore/Sherlock Street B5 6HX

In an unprecedented development, the workers who are directly employed by Birmingham council will now be joined on picket lines by agency workers employed by Job & Talent on the refuse contract.

The Job & Talent workers voted in favour of strike action over bullying, harassment and the threat of blacklisting at the council’s refuse department two weeks ago.

The number of agency workers, many of whom have worked in the refuse service for more than a decade without job security or full employment rights, who will join the strike action is growing daily.

Meanwhile, strikes over fire and rehire pay cuts of up to £8,000 by directly employed bin workers, which have been running since January, could continue beyond May’s local elections.

The directly employed bin workers voted in favour of extending their industrial action mandate earlier this month.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Birmingham council will only resolve this dispute when it stops the appalling treatment of its workforce.

“Agency workers have now joined with directly employed staff to stand up against the massive injustices done to them.

“Instead of wasting millions more of council taxpayers’ money fighting a dispute it could settle justly for a fraction of the cost, the council needs to return to talks with Unite and put forward a fair deal for all bin workers. Strikes will not end until it does.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Strike action began in January and became all out in March as a result of Birmingham council’s decision to cut the pay of drivers and senior loaders by up to £8,000 a year (between a quarter and a fifth of their total earnings). Affected workers have reported that the cuts would result in them losing their homes or being unable to feed their families.

There have been no formal negotiations over ending the dispute since May, after the council reengaged on a “ballpark deal” agreed with council chief executive Joanne Roney. Unite remains fully open to return to negotiations to resolve the dispute. Rather than continue negotiations the council instead took the decision to brutally fire and rehire its HGV drivers and forced them onto lower pay rates.

The council has claimed that it is unable to agree a fair deal for the striking workers due to “equal pay” concerns but has refused to provide the evidence behind the claim. Unite has obtained legal advice from leading equal pay barrister Oliver Segal KC which demonstrates that this is not the case (further information and a briefing on Unite’s legal advice is available on request).

There is growing alarm across Birmingham both at the mess and disruption that the strike is causing but also the additional costs that council taxpayers are being expected to fund, at a council which is officially bankrupt. A forensic accountant working with Unite estimate the direct cost to the council will hit £15 million by the end of the year

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.