Elizabeth Glinka & Rob Mayor reported a development in the ongoing negotiations between Birmingham’s striking bin workers and the city council. The union representing the workers, Unite, finally broke its near-three-week silence and placed blame on the council for the lack of progress. Specifically, Unite also pointed fingers at government-appointed commissioners overseeing the council’s operations since its bankruptcy for the apparent stall in negotiations. The strike began on 11 March due to plans to downgrade some roles, potentially costing workers £8,000 annually.
While the Birmingham City Council expressed commitment to resolving the strike, the government urged Unite to call off their strike action. Talks between the council and Unite, facilitated by conciliation service Acas, have been ongoing since the start of May. Unite’s latest statement criticized the council for not meeting a promised offer deadline and questioned the existence of such an offer. Unite’s General Secretary, Sharon Graham, called on council leader John Cotton to end the dispute swiftly to avoid pay cuts for workers.
Unite had anticipated a revised deal by 8 May but later discovered it needed approval from government commissioners, not just the council. This revelation frustrated Unite, as they stressed the importance of seeing the offer to assess its sufficiency for their members. Ms. Graham further criticized Mr. Cotton for not participating in negotiations and emphasized the need for a fair and reasonable offer that, according to Unite, does not currently exist. The council and government reiterated their commitment to finding a resolution to the strike and urged Unite to suspend their strike action.
The ongoing industrial action, now in its eleventh week, started with walkouts in January escalating to a full strike. At its peak, Birmingham’s streets accumulated an estimated 21,000 tonnes of rubbish, leading to mile-long queues at collection points. The council maintained the fairness and transparency of its job evaluation process while working diligently to reach a settlement. Unite faced accusations of hindering a potential deal previously, which they denied. In a separate incident, protesters supporting the striking bin workers disrupted a ceremony for Birmingham’s new Lord Mayor, Mayor Zafar Iqbal, prompting a heated exchange at the event
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