Refuse workers set for strike action in row over job cuts
Refuse workers at Birmingham City Council were taking strike action today in response to a dispute on job losses and alleged bullying in the workplace.
Unite, the country’s largest trade union, confirmed that the strike was going-ahead and accused the council of ‘playing fast-and-loose’ over the union’s offer to engage in talks with the conciliation service, Acas.
The refuse workers, members of Unite, will strike between 10:45am and 3:37pm. This stoppage will be followed by a series of two-hour stoppages, starting at 6am. These are scheduled for July 3, 11, 19 and 27 plus August 4.
There will also be an overtime ban with workers adhering to their contracted hours (6am to 3.37pm), plus returning to depots for all lunch and tea breaks.
Unite regional officer Lynne Shakespeare said the offer to hold talks with Acas had been on the table for two weeks but the council had only agreed on Thursday to take this up.
“It is for the Birmingham public to judge who is dragging their feet over seeking a solution to this dispute. The council has played fast-and-loose with our members’ jobs. The blame for any missed collections rests squarely on the council’s weak shoulders,” she said.
“The 121 jobs the authority wishes to axe are safety critical for operation of the waste refuse service.”
Unite members voted by 90% for strike action over the proposed job cuts and it claimed, attempts by council bosses to tear up long standing agreements with the union covering staffing levels and working patterns. The workers also voted by 93% for industrial action short of a strike.
The ballot results came on the same day as council bosses announced that they intended to make 121 waste collection staff redundant by the beginning of July. The figure equates to around 20% of the entire refuse collection squad.
The council has apologised to residents for the disruption to services and has said it is working to resolve the issue. In the meantime, it has told people to leave their bins out as normal and they will be emptied as soon as possible.
