Birmingham bin strikes - what to expect

The first of 12 planned bin strikes in Birmingham is set to begin on Monday.

More than 350 workers voted for the industrial action in December over what Unite the Union called an attack on pay and working conditions by employer, Birmingham City Council.

The union said the strikes were a result of the authority's decision to "downgrade" about 170 roles, which would cost affected staff an average of £8,000 a year.

Birmingham City Council said it would do all it could to minimise disruption to residents.

There are 12 planned dates across four months.

Action is set for 6,14, 22 and 30 January, followed by 7, 10,18, 26 February, and then 6, 14, 25 March, plus 2 April.

Unite said an overtime ban had been in place since 2 January as well as working to rule, meaning staff adhered to official start and finish times and returned to the yard for their break and lunch periods - practice that would cause "considerable disruption", the union added.

Birmingham City Council said it was disappointed that the action was taking place, and assured residents it was "committed to resolving the situation in the best interest of all parties involved".

The strikes will affect anyone who has their waste collected by Birmingham City Council on the days of the industrial action.

"The strikes, overtime ban and work to rule will cause huge disruption to refuse services throughout Birmingham but this dispute is entirely of the council's own making," said the union.

However, before the strikes there was already disruption due to the overtime ban.

On 2 January, Birmingham City Council said it had been unable to collect cardboard and paper recycling in some areas of the city due to operational reasons.

This could mean that disruption may carry over into days when there is no action planned.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the council had unexpectedly refused to delay the implementation of plans to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles, which were designed to check that health and safety requirements were followed.

The union said this was a safety-critical role, and that the post brought safety expertise to an "often dirty and dangerous job", citing the example of the death of a Coventry bin worker last year.

It added that due to the decision, about 170 affected workers faced losing £8,000 a year.

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said ensuring the safety of employees and residents was taken extremely seriously.

"We have undertaken steps to ensure Birmingham City Council colleagues affected by the change in working arrangements are supported," they said.

"There are several options that are available to suit different personal circumstances, and of the 170 affected employees, over 130 have already opted for redeployment, driver training or voluntary redundancy.

"We have moved quickly to minimise this period of uncertainty for everyone."

The council said up-to-date information would be available on its website and social media channels.

It encouraged residents to sign up to its bin collection newsletter.

Although the authority has no specific advice on what residents should do during the strike action, its website says that missed collections should be reported.

After making a report, residents should leave their bins out, and if a collection can be arranged, the council will do so within two working days.

Bins should be put back on residents' properties if they are not collected within two working days, and will be collected on the next collection date.

If there is extra waste that does not fit in waste bins, bin bags can be left next to wheelie bins, as well as piles of cardboard.

Additionally, the website also suggests residents can dispose of waste at household recycling centres.

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