UK
Unite warns Birmingham bin strikes could spread to other councils
The trade union Unite has warned that the bin strikes taking place in Birmingham, which have resulted in rubbish piling high in the streets as well as an influx of rats, could spread to other parts of the country.
It comes as the dispute between refuse workers and the city council in Birmingham continues without a breakthrough, after the latest pay offer by the city council was “overwhelmingly” rejected by bin workers.
The dispute centres on the council’s decision to cut a role from its waste service, which the union says will leave a number of workers with an £8,000-a-year pay cut.
Unite said the city council’s “partial” offer was “totally inadequate” and did not address the potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.
Now the general secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, has warned that the bin strikes could spread to other parts of the country if there are further pay cuts and job losses.
“If other councils decide to make low-paid workers pay for bad decisions that they did not make, workers paying the price yet again, then absolutely, of course, we all have to take action in those other areas,” Sharon Graham told LBC.
Unite’s national lead officer Onay Kasab echoed Graham’s words and told BBC Radio 4: “If other local authorities look to cut the pay of essential public service workers, then there is the potential for strike action spreading. That’s why different political choices need to be made.”
Labour minister tells Unite to call off
Basit Mahmood
15 April, 2025
Left Foot Forward
“The images are awful and people have enough to worry about in their lives without having to worry about rubbish collection alongside it..."
“The images are awful and people have enough to worry about in their lives without having to worry about rubbish collection alongside it..."
The Labour Party’s Minister for Industry has called on trade union Unite to call off the bin strike in Birmingham and accept the deal on offer and to get back to normal.
There has been no breakthrough after bin strikes in the city which have lasted for over a month, after the latest pay offer by the city council was “overwhelmingly” rejected by bin workers.
The city has seen bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish pile high on streets, as well as an influx of rats.
The dispute centres on the council’s decision to cut a role from its waste service, which the union says will leave a number of workers with an £8,000-a-year pay cut.
Unite said the city council’s “partial” offer was “totally inadequate” and did not address the potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham says that the rejection of the pay offer was no surprise as ‘workers simply cannot afford to take pay cuts of this magnitude to pay the price for bad decision after bad decision.’
Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Minister for Industry Sarah Jones MP said: “The strike needs to be called off, Unite need to accept the offer that’s on the table, it’s a good offer and that is what we are asking them to do and that is the way we are going to get back to normal in Birmingham.”
She added: “The images are awful and people have enough to worry about in their lives without having to worry about rubbish collection alongside it, so our message is loud and clear, Unite need to call of the strike, accept the deal and let’s get back to normal which is what people expect and deserve.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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