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In Birmingham, a strike by bin workers is on the verge of an extended period as the latest pay offer from the city council was decisively turned down. Members of the Unite union and the Labour-run authority have been at odds for a month, leading to a buildup of bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish on the streets. Unite dismissed the council’s offer as inadequate, especially as it failed to address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers. Conversely, the council has maintained that its proposal was fair.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, expressed no surprise at the rejection of the offer, citing that the workers could not bear significant pay cuts resulting from what she described as a string of misguided decisions. The heart of the dispute lies in the council’s choice to eliminate Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) positions. According to the union, these roles added indispensable safety expertise to a challenging and hazardous job, and nearly 170 affected workers could lose up to £8,000 annually as a consequence.
Birmingham City Council has contested the number of affected staff and the figures presented by the union, asserting that the WRCO role was not a standard practice in the industry and was absent in other councils. Towards the end of March, the council declared a major incident, citing that approximately 17,000 tonnes of rubbish were strewn across the city’s streets, leading to reports of increased rat and vermin populations. In response, military planners have been brought in to assist in managing the crisis, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner clarifying that this action was not about “boots on the ground” but rather aimed at facilitating waste clearance.
Moreover, neighboring councils like Lichfield and Telford have extended their support to aid in clearing the streets of accumulated rubbish. Rayner expressed satisfaction over the progress made, highlighting that a substantial portion of the waste has been removed, with plans underway to cleanse the pavements and streets. With the school holidays coinciding with the situation, the focus is on swiftly clearing the rubbish for the benefit of residents and the community
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