One major city’s bin collection service has been suspended due to widespread strikes.
Bin workers employed by Job & Talent and those directly employed by Birmingham City Council have joined forces in “mass pickets and protests”, leading to suspended collections today. Strikes took place at three bin depots, BirminghamLive reports. Workers rallied outside the Smithfield Depot on Sherlock Street from 8.30am, as well as at the Atlas bin depot in Tyseley and Perry Barr’s on Holford Drive.
The city council said on X: “Due to expected mass pickets and protests across our waste depots we have taken the decision to suspend collections today.
“We apologise for the inconvenience. Collections will resume tomorrow. We aim to complete all collections by Sunday. Please leave your bin out as normal.”
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Anita Maric / SWNS)
Job & Talent said in a message sent out to staff yesterday: “The Birmingham City Council collection service is to be suspended on Monday, December 1.
“Please note you will receive your usual pay for this day. Anyone that has pre-booked annual leave will be eligible to receive the day back. You are to attend your usual place of work on Tuesday at your usual time.”
It comes after Job & Talent agency workers voted in favour of strike action a few weeks ago after alleging they are being subjected to “bullying, harassment and the threat of blacklisting”. A manager was caught on camera telling the workers that council chiefs would ban them from getting permanent jobs if they refused to cross picket lines.
The council was also accused of “bullying” agency bin workers by “ranking” their driving performances in a “league table” displayed on their staff room wall. The table was displayed inside the Smithfield bin depot during this morning’s strike.
Trade union Unite, which represents the striking workers, said a growing number of agency staff were refusing to cross the picket lines of striking bin workers due to “unsustainable workloads and the toxic and bullying workplace culture”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Birmingham Council will only resolve this dispute when it stops the appalling treatment of its workforce. Agency workers have now joined with directly employed staff to stand up against the massive injustices done to them.
“Instead of wasting millions more of council taxpayers’ money fighting a dispute it could settle justly for a fraction of the cost, the council needs to return to talks with Unite and put forward a fair deal for all bin workers. Strikes will not end until it does.”
Birmingham City Council said it was “disappointed” that the dispute had not been resolved.
A council spokesperson said: “A small number of agency staff are in a separate dispute with Job & Talent. The city council has contingency plans and will continue to look to maintain residents with a minimum of one collection a week. Meanwhile we continue to move forward with the service improvements that are long overdue and that our residents need.”
