'I'm worried - it's really bad for business' - Residents and shop owners on Birmingham-Walsall border share concerns amid bin strikes

Birmingham binmen have re-entered the picket line as they hold more days of Unite the Union strike action to dispute council plans to reduce pay and downgrade staff. 

More than a million people have already been affected by the strike action so far, with many saying that giant rats are left to run rampant across the streets and stench fills the air. 

The current round of strikes started on March 11 and marked the beginning of continuous Monday-to-Friday strike action, with Birmingham City Council saying they will get to uncollected bins 'as soon as we can'.

We visited Queslett Road, near Pheasey, on the Walsall-Birmingham border, where one half is serviced by the striking Birmingham City Council binmen, and the other is serviced by Walsall Council.

Sukhvinder Dhillon, owner of Harleys Fish Bar, whose shop sits on the Birmingham side of the road, said: "It's horrible. We have had to clean the road outside twice before, but there is already plenty more rubbish out there now. 

"The problem is that people think it's our rubbish, but it's not, we have contractors come to take our rubbish away twice a week. It doesn't look nice at all. It's really affecting our business."

Walsall residents continue to have their weekly collections, however, they say that they are concerned that waste may pile up over time. 

Walsall side residents, Lynda and Graham Tubb, of the Walsall side of Queslett Road, said: "We haven't really seen that much rubbish on our side yet. 

"There is some over the road now, that wasn't there yesterday. We don't know what is going on behind the houses to be honest. They might not be putting out the front, they might be leaving it in the back gardens, and that's not right."

Birmingham City Council had previously said it was eager to end the dispute, with Councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, asking that Unite 'come to the table and talk'.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "My ask of Unite is come to the table, talk to us and let’s work together to resolve this for the betterment of the people of the city and bring Birmingham to the reputation we want which is the cleanest, safest and greenest city in the country."

However, in a recent statement, Unite the Union criticised the slow rate of negotiations with Birmingham City Council over the bin strikes, going on to question if the council's decision-making process is being 'hobbled' by unelected commissioners. 

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: "The council’s public statements about wanting to end this dispute are directly at odds with its sluggish approach to negotiations.

“The lack of clear answers during talks, and the long periods between meetings make it seem like the council can’t call its own shots. “Are the council’s decision-making abilities being hobbled by unelected commissioners? 

"If that’s the case, the council needs to be honest with its workers and the public and tell them exactly what decisions it can and cannot make without the commissioners’ permission."

 Further talks are due to resume today (March 27).