Birmingham rubbish strikes set to continue after bin workers reject offer

Bin collection strikes in Birmingham are set to carry on after refuse workers rejected an offer from the council to halt the long-running dispute.

Rubbish has been piling up on the city’s streets and there have been warnings of a public health emergency as hundreds of workers have been on all-out strike for more than a month.

The Government has stepped in in an attempt to prompt an end to the deadlock and had urged the Unite union to accept the deal.

A small number of office-based military planners were called in by the Government to give logistical support to clean up the streets.

More than 11,000 tonnes of waste has been collected during efforts to clear the backlog of rubbish, according to local government minister Jim McMahon.

He said the council had put a “fair and reasonable” offer on the table.

Unite said its members in Birmingham voted overwhelmingly against what the union described as the council’s “totally inadequate” offer, which it maintained still included pay cuts.

The union’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said pay would be cut by up to £8,000 under the council’s plans.

She urged the Government to call a meeting with the stakeholders to address the issues and bring the strike to an end, as well as to urgently consider Unite’s proposal for debt restructure at Birmingham City Council.

Birmingham Council said it was disappointed, but that “our door remains open” to continue discussions.

Further talks are planned for Wednesday.

Published: 15/04/2025 by Radio NewsHub