The Birmingham bin strikes are worsening as rubbish piles up on the streets for a fifth week in a row. Huge protests erupted in the Labour-run council today following the union, Unite, rejecting the council’s offer on Monday following a vote.
Members claimed it was “totally inadequate” and “did not address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers”. Unite claim, if they accepted the offer, it would have resulted in “substantial pay cuts for workers”. The union has been campaigning against the council’s plan to cut the role of waste recycling and collection officers (WRCO) from the city’s service. Unite claims the move will lead to around 150 workers having their pay drastically reduced by £8,000. However, the local authority had disputed this, saying only 17 members would be affected.
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Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “The rejection of the offer is no surprise as these workers simply cannot afford to take pay cuts of this magnitude to pay the price for bad decision after bad decision.”
During an interview with LBC, Ms Graham was asked how likely the bin strikes could spread to other parts of the country.
She replied: “Well, 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.”
The all-out strike began on March 11 with a major incident being declared on March 31. This follows serious health concerns to the public as waste piled high into the sky and residents complaining of “rats as big as cats” roaming the streets.
