“That pretty much puts me and my family out on the street”: Solidarity tales from the Birmingham Bin Strike
Strike Map report on their campaigning work in solidarity with bin workers taking action in Birmingham.
We arrived at the picket at 7am. As we got out of the taxi, juggling our giant charity cheque to present to the strikers, we were excited about meeting the strikers leading the fightback against the austerity of a Labour council, enforced by the Labour Government and their band of commissioners.
The workers huddled all around as one described to the other that we were from Strike Map and, working with Football Lads and Lasses Against Fascism, we had sold 2,000 pin badges, raising £2,000 in just a week.
We received lots of thanks, handshakes, and smiles from the strikers as we walked up and down the picket talking to different bin workers out on strike. We listened to Paul, a grade 4 driver: “I’m here to support my grade three colleagues and the attacks on their terms and conditions.”
Behind us as we filmed, workers walked inch by inch, slowing any trucks leaving the depot.
We stopped and took a photo together.
As more Police showed up, we were made aware that the Police were now enforcing the section 14 notice. This means that the picketers were no longer able to slow or stop any trucks leaving the depot or fear arrest, things were getting more tense.
Walking down the long picket, we spoke to so many different strikers, many of whom were clear they weren’t going anywhere and many had long memories stretching back to the last dispute in 2017.
Further down the picket line we spoke with Neil, another driver, who told us the value of financial solidarity, but also of visiting and supporting the picket lines. “It hasn’t been easy and it’s going to get a lot tougher, but with the support of you all out there, it is appreciated.” As Neil rattled off all the thank yous to those that had brought the badges Strike Map and Football Lads and Lasses Against Fascism had sold, the link between this dispute and other fights across our movement was clear: “It is not just us. It’s a lot of other people. And on behalf of everybody else who’s going through the same struggle, thank you.”
As we stopped to watch and listen to more strikers and a truck, driven by strike breaking labour, suddenly came to a halt. Peacefully picketers were speaking through the window to the driver, before loud cheers were heard down the picket line. The door of the bin truck swung open and the driver got out and joined the strike. This type of effective picketing and being able to stop and speak to those agency staff is vital to the success of this dispute and in just a few hours we saw this moment of clear class struggle, when the workers knew exactly what side they were on. The new striker was patted on the back by the other picketers, showing how the strike is growing support the longer it goes on.
Adrian, came in front of our tripod holding a large red Unite the Union flag, he told us the personal financial impact of the cuts being made on his and so many of his comrades conditions: “I was a grade three, now downgraded to grade 2, that is £6,000 a year, £500 a month. So that pretty much puts me and my family on the street.”
There is not just anger and disappointment in a Labour Council imposing austerity with Labour Government backing, including drafting the military to break the strike, but a realisation of the hypocrisy of the council. Adrian finishes his video with: “It is a disgrace what they are doing, considering they got a pay rise of 5.7%.”
What is unfolding in this dispute is a clear ‘war of information’ with the council, right wing press and Government working in tripartite agreement to undermine the strikers. Derek, a driver team leader for 33 years explained how the council has been withholding information from the public. “Originally I came out in support of my colleagues who are going to be potentially losing substantial sums of money, but also under the pretext that we were going to be targeted next as drivers. It appears that may well be the case going forward.”
This dispute was no longer about cuts to a specific job role as part of Birmingham City Council’s bin and refuge work, but a political attack on workers across the city, a continuation of declining living standards and austerity.
There is no doubt this strike has national importance, and as a result the labour movement needs to come together to support these workers and reject austerity and strike breaking from Councils and Government.
Below are some actions we have developed in discussion with workers on strike and we urge everyone to join us at the Megapicket on Friday 9 May at Lifford Lane Depot, Ebury Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B30 3JJ GB from 7am.
Take action to support the Brum Bin Strikers:
- Write to the agencies providing scab labour here.
- Write to all Birmingham City Councillors here.
- RSVP to join the Megapicket on 9 May here.
- You can follow Strike Map on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and YouTube.
- This article was originally published by Strike Map on 24 April 2025.
Inside the Birmingham Bin Strikes: “I’m proud to be part of this dispute”
Strike Map have released the following article from an anonymous worker taking part in the ongoing dispute involving Birmingham’s bin collection services.
This dispute was born last year, after employees who were performing the WRCO role received statutory notices advising them of a 45-day consultation period proposing the deletion of this particular role. To give it its full title, the Waste, Recycling, Collection Officer was introduced in 2018 to bring a previous dispute to a close after High Court intervention. This involved one of the two loaders taking on extra responsibilities, particularly in regards to safety at the back of the vehicle but also in conjunction with the driver to ensure the smooth running of the service – reporting missed collections, any access issues and promoting recycling being a few examples.
Whilst the original letter suggested the removal of this role was only a proposal, it quickly became clear there was no consultation to be had, just B.C.C (Birmingham City Council) fulfilling their statutory legal obligations. After the role was officially removed, a range of options were made available for affected employees including redundancy, driver training, a move without loss of pay to street cleaning or 6-months pay protection. Whilst on paper these offered a fair range of options, I will attempt to explain why this is not the case.
Redundancy may be attractive if you’re nearing retirement age, but daunting after 30 years of service then trying to find something else. Driver training: great if you enjoy driving and would like to enhance your career prospects, but many of the affected employees don’t even possess a car licence. A move to another department (namely street cleaning) with no loss of pay: this is the most contentious as, though the council claim in their words “nobody needs to lose a penny”, this supposedly equivalent role has still to go through the same evaluation process every job within B.C.C is currently undertaking, with a high likelihood this role will also be downgraded with the same subsequent pay cut.
Shortly after asking employees to explore these options, drivers were paid a visit by senior management and made assurances which were then put in writing to suggest they were not part of these proposals and therefore had no concerns regarding losing any pay, so should not be supporting any industrial action. What B.C.C seems not to understand is frontline staff are a band of brothers and sisters who fight for all our terms and conditions, whether we are directly affected or otherwise. As it turns out B.C.C management acted very disingenuously towards drivers as they face the same evaluation process and potential downgrades, so promises were not made in good faith: it was basically impossible to predict the outcome of this independent process.
After weighing up our limited options a ballot was announced and, despite the depot manager (who ironically was our former convenor) telling everyone in earshot it would fail, it passed comfortably. Industrial action began in January for one day a week, but with a large number of agency staff already employed it meant any work not done was picked up and our impact was limited.
We then moved to a 3 day a week strike and whilst this had more of an impact, B.C.C seemed happy enough to deploy agency staff on the weekend at enhanced pay rates. Finally from March we voted for an all-out strike. This in conjunction with help from Unite’s organisers to facilitate within the law a slow walk protest in front of the wagons soon saw rubbish pile high in the streets and chaotic scenes in our city, whilst more police appeared on a previously peaceful picket line. Despite being no doubt under tremendous political pressure the chief constable confirmed we were acting within the law. After witnessing the effect we were having B.C.C announced emergency measures which included the police threatening a section 14 implementation, which could result in arrest if breached.
I’m proud to be a part of this dispute, as I think every employee should defend their hard-earned terms and conditions. I would like to place on record mine and my colleague’s immense gratitude for the fantastic support we’ve received throughout the dispute, ranging from Unite supporting us financially, members of the public bringing food and drink to the picket line and various organisations doing inspiring work raising funds and offering unwavering support. It’s been a humbling experience during a difficult time. As a sidenote, despite the difficult circumstances we have also been running a barbecue and raised money to fund a bleed kit for a local charity, made donations of Easter eggs to a children’s charity and a local food bank. It’s been nice to give something back to the communities we serve.
B.C.C in my view has behaved disgracefully throughout this dispute, seeming more concerned with waging a propaganda war discrediting long serving employees with genuine financial future concerns and spending millions of pounds on a scab workforce rather than engaging in meaningful negotiations.
They’ve blatantly lied throughout the media with regards to recruitment of new agency staff (unlawful during a dispute), options available to affected employees, the number of those affected by these changes and also stating on local television that compulsory redundancy notices had been issued – to this day not one single compulsory redundancy notice has been issued.
Whatever the outcome of this dispute, I will walk away with my head held high and my morals intact.
- Strike Map have teamed up with Football Lads and Lasses Against Fascism to create badges being sold at £1 each to help show support and raise funds for the Birmingham bin strikers: you can order them here.
- You can follow Strike Map on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and YouTube.
- This article was originally published by Strike Map on 24/4/2025.
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