Birmingham bin workers overwhelmingly reject partial offer from council

Hundreds of workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted overwhelmingly to reject the deal, which they say still includes substantial pay cuts for Birmingham bin workers.

The union also stressed that the offer did not address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.

The Army has been called in to help tackle the rubbish piling up on Birmingham’s streets. The bin workers voted on a “partial deal” aimed at ending their all-out strike.

The action by members of Unite, which began on March 11 as part of a dispute over pay, has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected and warnings of a public health emergency.

Soldiers are not being deployed to collect rubbish but a small number of office-based military planners has been called in by the Government to give short-term logistical support.

Announcing the pay deal rejection Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “For weeks, these workers have faced attacks from government and their employer pushing the lie that only a handful of workers are affected by the council’s plans to cut pay by up to £8,000.

“Instead of peddling untruths about these low paid workers and focusing on winning a media war, the government should have taken the time to check facts and used its office to bring the council to the table in a meaningful way. 

“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.

“From the start, the council has constantly moved the goalposts for these workers, prolonging the strikes in the process. First it was equal pay, then it was about improving the waste service, then cost cutting. The list goes on.

“Unite has set out simple and reasonable steps to the council to resolve these issues. It is important to remember that this dispute is not about a pay rise it is about preventing serious pay cuts.

“The government must now call a meeting with the stakeholders to ensure these steps are taken to bring the strike to an end.

“The government must now also urgently consider Unite’s proposal for debt restructure at Birmingham City Council and other local authorities. Workers and communities cannot continue to pay the price.”