Long-running bin dispute settled as council approves payments

The long-running Birmingham bin dispute has been resolved after the council approved settlements for striking workers.

Heads of terms between Birmingham City Council and the unions Unite and Unison were approved by the council’s cabinet on Friday.

The council said it had now agreed to pay £3,500 to each worker.

Although the cabinet decision can be challenged via a “call-in” application, Unite said it considered the dispute over.

It is thought weekly bin collections will resume from Monday, while an independent review on the future of the waste service is to be commissioned by the council.

The dispute centred around a row over payments that the unions claimed were made by the city’s council to refuse collectors who did not take part in 2017’s bin dispute.

Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Since the start of this dispute we’ve said that a negotiated settlement was what everyone needed.

“There’s been a determination this week on all sides to bring this dispute to an end and we now have a platform from which to collectively move forward.

“Everyone involved has always had the same aim – to deliver the best possible service for citizens, as clean streets have consistently been named as the number one priority for the people of Birmingham.

“We all know the service needs to be better than it has been. This settlement will enable us to lay the foundations for improvement.

“The independent review will take a long, hard look at the service and come forward with recommendations that help us collectively achieve this.”