A major incident has been declared by Birmingham City Council over the ongoing bin strike, which has left 17,000 tonnes of waste on the streets. Leader John Cotton said it was in response to concerns for public health as the authority struggles to clear the rubbish, which has led to the issue being raised in Parliament.
The declaration means the authority can increase its street cleaning operation by bringing in an extra 35 vehicles and crews. Unite union members have been on an all-out strike since 11 March in a row over pay.
Residents Express Frustration as Rubbish Piles Up
Residents say they have had enough of seeing mountains of rubbish piling up, questioning why some areas are seeing bins emptied while others are not. Mr Cotton said staff on picket lines were preventing vehicles from getting out of depot.
“We cannot tolerate a situation that is causing harm and distress to communities across Birmingham,” he said. “I respect the right to strike and protest, however actions on the picket line must be lawful.”
Government Response and Political Tensions
Local government minister Jim McMahon said “well-established arrangements” were in place, adding: “If local leaders feel that tackling these issues goes beyond the resources available to them and they request national support, we stand ready to respond.”
Kevin Hollinrake, shadow local government secretary, accused the Labour government of being in “total denial” and said declaring a major incident was not enough.
Failed Negotiations Lead to Redundancy Threat
Negotiations between the council and Unite broke down, with the authority launching a period of collective consultation regarding compulsory redundancies. Unite claims planned restructuring will see some 50 workers lose £8,000 a year, and about 20 lose £2,000 per annum.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, said the authority could easily resolve the dispute but was “hellbent on imposing its plan of demotions and pay cuts at all costs.”
Health Hazards and Community Impact
Ian Cook from Small Heath said: “We didn’t have any rats until this lot appeared. Now we’ve got them having parties on the grass.” Basmin Khan added: “There have been rats going under the cars, going into the bins, going into the front gardens – it’s a health hazard.”
Declining Services Amid Council Tax Increases
Uncollected waste has increased from 483 tonnes a day in mid-March to almost 900 tonnes a day two weeks later. Properties receiving one bin collection a week declined from 87% to 17% in the same period. All recycling, green waste and bulky waste collection have been suspended.
This crisis comes as the council tax is due to increase by 7.5%.
Root Causes of the Dispute
The strike centers on plans to scrap the waste recycling and collection officer role. The council claims this role doesn’t exist in other local authorities, and keeping it risks “a huge future equal pay liability.” Birmingham City Council declared effective bankruptcy in 2023, largely due to an equal pay bill.
Unite views this as “the first step in a broader campaign of attacks against pay and terms and conditions.”
Perspective: A Surprising Collapse of Essential Services
It’s astonishing how quickly this essential public service has collapsed in Birmingham. Despite being in a developed country, the city is struggling with basic waste management, potentially leading to disease spread. The situation has deteriorated remarkably over just three weeks, raising serious questions about the city management’s approach to this critical public health issue.