Residents living under a debt-ridden Labour council have told of how the streets have become infested with “rats as big as cats.” Strike action by Birmingham’s bin workers has left the city’s bins overflowing, providing vital cover and food to a growing army of rodents.
The sight of bins piled high and overflowing has become all too common as locals warn that the issue is now becoming hazardous to health. Elderly resident Kolpona Begum told the Daily Mail: “I’m too scared to let my grandchildren play in the garden anymore. Rats are everywhere. They’re as big as cats. It was absurd to begin with, but now it’s getting dangerous.
Photos show mountains of black bags providing rodents with an endless food source and welcoming habitation, allowing them to breed aggressively across the city.
Another elderly resident compared the crisis to 1978’s winter of discontent where widespread strikes across the country brought public services to its knees.
He said: “It’s like living in a prison. But instead of bars, we’ve got bin bags. There’s been nothing like it since ’78.”
Grahame Turner, technical manager at the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA), said: “This is a huge public health danger, and what we’re seeing in Birmingham is incredibly concerning.
“Pests like rats, mice and even squirrels are on the lookout for easy meals at this time of year, and easily accessible waste is an open invitation.
“Rotting food is an absolute banquet to them, and Birmingham is already extremely vulnerable due to previous strikes and infestation levels of rodents that are observed within urban areas.”
This week, nearly 400 Birmingham bin workers began their latest bout of strike action, as part of a row over jobs and pay.
Unite, the union representing the strikers, said the city council could end the dispute “by agreeing to pay a decent rate of pay”.
Whilst the standoff shows no signs of abating, it is the one million people living within the council’s jurisdiction and local businesses which are left to face the brunt.
Mohammad Iqbal, who owns Bismillah Supermarket in the suburbs says that his business has been impacted as a result.
He said: “As silly as it sounds, I believe people are more reluctant to come out because of the smell.”
Another added: “This is what England has come to. They’re sending billions of pounds off to fight foreign wars and all the while the country turns into a rubbish tip.”
Unite have threatened that the action could continue into the summer whilst Birmingham City Council, who effectively declared itself bankrupt in 2023, has been forced to pay an average of £18.44 an hour per worker for agency staff according to a freedom of information request.
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “The council could end this dispute tomorrow by agreeing to pay a decent rate of pay. The council is forcing dedicated workers to pay levels barely above the minimum wage while undertaking difficult and highly demanding jobs in all weathers. The council easily afford this if it stopped wasting millions on expensive employment agency fees.
“Disruption to Birmingham’s refuse service will further deteriorate but this is the fault of a heartless council which has slashed pay without a thought to the affect it is having on workers and their families.”
Birmingham City Council has been approached for comment.