Birmingham bins strike reaches one-year anniversary

The Birmingham bins dispute is deadlocked one year after Unite members began strike action on January 6 last year; the council is proceeding with waste-service reforms while Unite says the changes will cut pay and agency staff have also staged walkouts.

The dispute over refuse collection in Birmingham remains deadlocked a year after Unite members began strike action on January 6 last year. The union has been on all-out strike since last March. The council says contingency arrangements are now working and reports fewer missed collections and higher productivity. Unite says proposed reforms amount to a pay cut and that agency workers covering shifts have also taken strike action. Key facts: - Unite members began strike action on January 6 last year and have been on all-out strike since last March. - Birmingham City Council is pressing ahead with reforms to its waste collection service and says contingency plans have reduced missed collections and increased tonnage per employee. - Unite says the council’s changes are a form of fire-and-rehire that would cut pay by up to £8,000 for some staff and reports agency workers have also walked out. - The council says it has engaged in negotiations over the past 12 months, describes its offers as fair, and says it remains open to constructive proposals from Unite. Summary: The ongoing dispute has left waste-service reform progressing while strike action continues and contingency crews operate across the city. Negotiations remain formally open but a resolution is undetermined at this time.