Thousands of people gathered in a show of solidarity with Birmingham‘s striking bin workers today despite their ongoing row with the council leaving the city with a dystopia-like rat infestation.
Mounds of litter and rotting food have lined the West Midlands streets since members of the Unite union began their now-months-long war with council chiefs, causing an influx of maggots and rodents.
Tensions had been threatening to boil over since January this year, when union barons began making noises over a potential £8,000 pay cut and concerns over the downgrading of roles by the council.
And chaos quickly broke out in March when bin workers launched an indefinite full-scale strike movement.
In the six months since, Birmingham has been at the centre of a storm which has seen Health Secretary Wes Streeting weigh in with concerns over the health and safety of the city’s residents should the strikes continue.
Yet, there is still no end in sight to the action which Unite have threatened could extend into March next year.
Meanwhile the council – who declared bankrupt in 2023 – have been scrambling to hire agency staff to clean up the filthy streets.
Amid the two sides completely deadlocked and having not gathered round the table for weeks, thousands today chanted ‘stand up, fight back’ as they marched their way from the Unite offices to the council headquarters in Victoria Square.
Workers raised smoke bombs, waved flags and chanted in support of Birmingham’s striking bin workers
Many among the crowds donned Oscar the Grouch masks as they chanted through the streets
The scale of fly-tipping in the Moseley area of Birmingham was seen on September 4
Those who marched wore hi-vis jackets and waved flags reading ‘Support the Brum Bin Workers’.
Some participants also held blue and orange smoke bombs and wore Oscar the Grouch masks.
Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite, said today that pay cuts would mean workers would be unable to pay their mortgages and rent as she showed her support.
She added in a post on X: ‘Workers will not crumble, they will not move on and they will not give up. Today in Birmingham we lined the streets with Birmingham bin workers and stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
‘The whole trade union movement is with you. Solidarity.’
Unite has claimed that ‘Grade four’ drivers faced losing up to £8,000 per year because the council removed Waste Recycling and Collection Officer roles – which is why the walkout look set to continue to next Spring.
However, Birmingham City Council said affected drivers by the cuts had been offered alternative roles, voluntary redundancy or pay protection for six months.
Speaking last month, Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said strike action would ‘continue for as long as necessary’.
Unite the Union flags were waved with a large banner displayed reading: ‘Back the Strike!’
One worker was seen holding an orange smoke bomb as he held a ‘Support the Brum Bin Workers’ flag
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham led the striking workers through the city’s streets
She said: ‘Politicians’ treatment of these workers, including lies about no one losing pay and broken promises about being able to retrain in driving roles that are now nowhere to be seen, is amongst the worst Unite has even seen.
‘The only way this dispute will end is with a fair and reasonable deal for Birmingham’s bin workers.’
The escalation was backed by Birmingham’s bin workers who voted overwhelmingly in support of it, with 99.5 per cent in favour out of a turnout of 72 per cent, the union said.
Birmingham City Council now increasingly seems to be trying to outlast the siege, having spent more than £6.5million on agency staff, who are unable to strike without losing pay.
The authority walked away from talks with the union in July, after claiming it had offered all it could.
The council has since applied for contempt of court proceedings against Unite for allegedly breaching a court-ordered injunction preventing striking workers blocking bin lorries at depots and on the streets.
They said Unite members had allegedly been ‘stepping in front of, and even leaning against, moving heavy vehicles and blocking road junctions’.
However, this has been disputed with a bin lorry loader claiming the picket lines ‘haven’t been a problem’ since the legal action was sparked in July.
Placards reading ‘Dump the Cuts’ were held aloft – an apparent reference to supposed £8,000 cuts to some bin workers
Piles of rubbish dominating the streets across the city as seen in Saltley on September 4
‘We have to work; we don’t have a choice,’ one worker told The Times previously. ‘If we don’t work, we don’t get paid, simple as that. But I support them. Why should they have to lose money which they have been on for years?’
A spokesperson for the Birmingham City Council told the Daily Mail today that they are now looking to implement a ‘new and improved service’ because they ‘cannot delay this any longer’.
They said: ‘Although the industrial action continues, our contingency plan is working and we are collecting household waste as scheduled.
‘Our new fleet of vehicles is now fully operational and making collections across the city. They are equipped with modern safety features, including 360-degree camera systems to boost visibility and protect both crews and the public.
‘By moving to a fully owned, modern fleet, the council has reduced its reliance on hired vehicles, improved reliability and consistency in household waste and recycling collections.
‘As well as giving our crews the tools they need to deliver a more reliable, efficient service the new fleet supports the city’s environmental goals.
‘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.
‘There has been a 22 per cent increase in tonnage of waste collected per employee and a 52 per cent improvement regarding missed collections.
‘We want to see this dispute end; we understand residents’ frustration and appreciate their patience over the last few months.’
