Council rubbishes Acas statement claiming bin strike is over

The long-running dispute by Birmingham’s binmen appeared to be resolved yesterday until the city council responded by rubbishing claims an agreement was in place.

Industrial action has been taking place for months, with rubbish piling up around the city throughout the summer, in protest at a restructuring that would see 121 waste collection staff made redundant.

Acas put out a statement yesterday afternoon announcing “Birmingham City Council and Unite the Union have today made sufficient progress in their talks for the Shop Stewards to pause industrial action”.

Unite confirmed this, and said it had “achieved victory”.

However a statement by the city council then appeared to unpause the pause – at least until next week, when an emergency meeting of the cabinet will make its decision.

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “The Acas statement in connection with the waste and refuse dispute does not represent the council’s position until these matters are considered at the council’s Special Cabinet Meeting on 24th August 2017.

“The decision on the waste reorganisation taken by Cabinet on 27th June is still the current position of the council.”

Acas had said that council representatives had “agreed in principle that the grade 3 posts will be maintained” removing the threat of redundancies.

Unite had agreed in principle to move to a five-day, seven-hour shift, rather than a four-day, nine-hour pattern.

Acas also plans to convene further talks on remaining matters still disputed, including how the service can be improved and become more efficient.