Bin workers announce strike action as council acts ‘in bad faith’
Birmingham bin workers will go on strike in the new year with the council accused of ‘attacking pay’ by Unite the union.
The dispute will involve over 350 members of Unite and is a result of the council’s decision to abolish the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role.
Unite says the WRCO role brings safety expertise to “an often dirty and dangerous job”, and highlights that at least 21 workers and eight members of the public have been killed in accidents involving the collection of non-hazardous waste in the last five years.
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said that the safety of employees and residents is taken “extremely seriously”. It has undertaken steps to support the 170 affected employees over the changes in working arrangements, with more than 130 opting for “redeployment, driver training or voluntary redundancy”.
From Thursday 2 January an overtime ban will be in place as well as a ‘work to rule’, which will mean workers adhere to official start and finish times and return to the work yard for their 15-minute break and 30-minute lunch period. In addition, there will be 12 days of full strike action with the first strike on Monday 6 January.
Unite says 150 workers face losing £8k a year and could see their future pension payments impacted, despite many having decades of service at the council.
Talks broke down on Tuesday (Dec 17) with the union accusing the council of refusing to delay the cut and would not wait for the council’s job evaluation process of the role to complete in February.
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that this action is taking place, but we are continuing to work through the dispute resolution procedure. We would like to assure residents that we will do all we can to minimise disruption during any potential industrial action.
“We thank residents for their understanding and patience during this challenging period and assure everyone that we are committed to resolving the situation in the best interest of all parties involved. Up-to-date information will be provided via our website, social media and encourage residents to sign up to bin collection newsletter.
“Ensuring the safety of our employees and residents is taken extremely seriously, and health and safety is everyone’s responsibility. We have undertaken steps to ensure Birmingham City Council colleagues affected by the change in working arrangements are supported. 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. We are committed to working with our colleagues across the service for the best outcome so that we deliver a consistent and reliable service that Birmingham residents deserve.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is not prepared to see its workers face a huge pay cut, nor will it allow the council to recklessly cut safety critical roles which risks the safety of workers and the general public.
“Unite is totally focussed on protecting the pay and safety of its members and will leave no stone unturned in resolving this dispute.”
Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou said: “Unite has bent over backwards to resolve this dispute but the council has negotiated in bad faith and is simply refusing to treat its workers with fairness and decency.
“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. The solution to this dispute is in the council’s hands.”
Birmingham City Council has been contacted for comment, with no immediate response received.
