Why are Birmingham bin workers on strike?

Four months into the year, and the dispute between the Unite union and Birmingham City Council appears to be getting more tense.

The authority declared a major incident on Monday over the bin strikes, which have been going on since January.

Council leader John Cotton said the action had been taken in response to rising concerns about public health as the authority struggled to clear the rubbish.

So why are the strikes happening? Where can you actually take your rubbish? And do you still have to pay council tax?

A major incident is an event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agency, according to the Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme (JESIP).

The declaration means the authority can increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tipping removal with an extra 35 vehicles and crews around the city.

It also means the council can work with partners to better manage the risks the city is facing, including health and fire risks and allow for increased data and intelligence sharing.

The authority added that the declaration would allow it to explore what further support was available from neighbouring authorities and the government to assist in managing the situation.

"Unless we declare a major incident and deploy the waste service's contingency plan, then we would be unable to clear the backlog of waste on the streets or improve the frequency of collections," Cotton said.

The dispute centres on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.

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

It said about 170 affected workers faced losing an average of £8,000 a year due to the decision.

The union believes that removing the role affects the rest of the workforce by "leaving them without a fair path for pay progression", and said it was concerned that the council was preparing to downgrade the pay of other non-management roles in the service.

Birmingham City Council said the WRCO role was not industry standard, and did not exist in other councils.

It also said it was not a role that could be reinstated without opening the authority up to a potential equal pay liability.

The authority said claims that affected staff would lose an average of £8,000 per year were incorrect.

"We have made an offer that means no worker need lose any money," the council said.

"The reality is that the number of staff that could lose the maximum amount (just over £6,000) is 17 people, they will have pay protection for six months in line with council policy."

The change, the council said, was part of the waste collection service restructure, which aimed to improve the quality of service delivery, make sure the workforce could meet the challenges of delivering a modern waste service, and to adhere to the Environmental Act 2021.

Originally, 12 walkouts were planned across four months, and the action started on 6 January.

However, Unite announced on 26 February that it would escalate into an indefinite all-out strike from 11 March.

This means strike action five days a week, Monday to Friday, continuously.

Although the main reason behind the action is because of the loss of the WRCO roles, the Union said the decision to move to an all-out strike was because the authority hired temporary labour to "undermine" the walkouts.

General secretary Sharon Graham had called the alleged use of employment agencies "disgraceful" and added members played a "vital frontline role" in keeping the city clean.

In response to these claims, Birmingham City Council said: "We strongly refute any suggestion that agency workers have been carrying out work normally undertaken by striking workers."

"We continue to deploy the same number of agency workers on days of action as we would on any normal working days."

No deal has been made between the council and the union.

Talks between the two on 27 March broke down without an agreement.

In a statement, Birmingham City Council said all staff had been offered alternative employment and the same pay, and that almost three-quarters of them had either taken up the offer, or decided to take voluntary redundancy.

"There are now 41 workers who have declined any offer, and 35 workers who opted for valuable and skilled driver training who have also told us via a letter from Unite that they are working under protest," it said.

The council announced that from 31 March, it would formally enter a period of collective consultation, to look to make compulsory redundancies for those who had declined all offers on the table.

Finally, it added that its offer, where no worker would need to lose money, remained open to the union.

The union said it hoped that the council would have a change of heart over the potential redundancies.

"The fact that they've threatened those redundancies, for me, it can send one message - that they are not serious about resolving this dispute, but we are," said Onay Kasab, Unite's national lead officer.

He added that Unite was determined to reach a resolution.

Advice on Birmingham City Council's website states that residents should put their household waste out on their normal collection days.

If it is not collected, it should be left out, and it will be collected as soon as the authority is able.

However, it said there were delays to crews that were heading out, as striking staff were blocking trucks from leaving depots.

The union said any delays were caused only by the normal action of asking people not to cross picket lines and to speak to colleagues about why the strike is taking place.

Recycling collections have been suspended every day during the action, so recycling bins should not be put out for collection, the authority said.

Crews would collect "neatly bundled" side waste. Excess waste should be put in black bags, directly next to household waste bins.

The council suggested residents could take their waste to one of its five Household Recycling Centres, but said if that was not possible, residents should keep hold of their recycling until the next opportunity.

Although the council will be aware of bins not being collected, there is an online system to report a missed bin collection.

There are five Household Recycling Centres in Birmingham where residents can take refuse and recycling.

To attend, residents must book a slot.

They are:

• Castle Bromwich, Tameside Drive - open 0800-1800 Monday to Friday, and 0800-1630 on weekends
• Kings Norton, Lifford Lane - open 0800-2000 Monday to Friday, and 0800-1800 on weekends
• Perry Barr, Holford Drive - open 0800-2000 Monday to Friday, and 0800-1800 on weekends
• Sutton Coldfield, Norris Way - open 0800-1800 Monday to Friday, and 0800-1630 on weekends
• Tyseley, James Road - open 0800-2000 Monday to Friday, and 0800-1800 on weekends

You can book no less than two hours before the time you would like to go to the centre, and no more than three days before your visit.

You can book two visits at a time, which could be on the same day or week.

Proof of address must be shown upon arrival, to show that you live in Birmingham.

Birmingham City Council also has two Mobile Household Waste Centres (MHWCs) visiting all areas of the city.

They visit each location for one morning, from 0730-1300.

You can dispose of household general waste and bulky items at the MHWCs.

However, waste from vans will not be accepted, and will need to book a slot at the Household Recycling Centres.

You can visit an MHWC as many times as you like. You do not need to book, bring ID or pay for the service.

The council updates where they are going on its website.

Items accepted at MHWCs include household rubbish that cannot be reused, and bulky items like toys, furniture and wood.

You are not permitted to take building materials, like rubble or bricks, and white goods such as fridges and washing machines.

Additionally, large items like garage doors or tree stumps, hazardous materials - including asbestos and gas cylinders - and wheelie bins are also not permitted.

You can find out how to recycle specific materials via this link.

Some residents who have paid thousands to hire skips to dispose of rubbish told the BBC they believed they should get a council tax rebate.

"It is a legal responsibility to pay council tax and we urge people to continue doing this," the city council said.

Tony Travers, a local government expert from the London School of Economics, said that while refuse collection was important, it was one of a large number of services provided by the authority and the others were still being provided.

He said: "It's not lawful for people to withhold payments to the council for council tax. They are required by law to pay."

Those who have paid for a 2025 garden waste subscription service will be refunded.

Birmingham City Council said those with a subscription did not need to contact the authority, and refunds would be made automatically.

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