Bin workers 'determined' to continue striking

A striking binman says union members are determined to fight on as a bin strike continues into its second year.

The industrial action, which started on 6 January last year, was triggered by a dispute between the city council and Unite over changes to the service.

On Tuesday, the authority said it would press on with a new waste collection regime in the summer, even if industrial action went on - while the union said the strikes would continue until there was a fair deal for workers.

Matthew Reid is among those on strike and said "myself and my members are absolutely determined to just carry on".

"The way we've been treated is disgusting," he added.

Reid said the situation was "difficult for all of us".

"We don't want the streets to be a mess, we don't want the people of Birmingham to suffer with no recycling, no garden collection, no bulky waste collection," he said.

Asked what his message was to Brummies across the city, he added: "I'm embarrassed that a Labour council can't negotiate with a trade union to settle a waste dispute that should have been settled in July last year.

"Together we've put them through six months of pain, distress, rats and fly-tipping and it's completely unnecessary.

"We should have stayed around the table and I can't believe the council pulled out of negotiations."

Speaking at a finance meeting, the council's managing director Joanne Roney said negotiations were "cordial, polite and well managed on both sides".

But she continued: "What is clear for Birmingham City Council is, in settling this dispute, it cannot worsen the equal pay implications for the council."

"It is incredibly difficult to find a way through these various hurdles.

"Nobody is blaming the workers for this situation – this is a failure of Birmingham City Council for many years to not address its equal pay issues."

She said two offers were made to try and settle the dispute before being rejected by Unite, adding "doors remain open" if the union wanted to make a proposal back.

Asked about Roney's remarks, bin worker Reid said: "Well the doors are obviously not open.

"They say their doors are open for us to go back and get that offer they've offered us before, which we've already rejected.

"They're just mounting more and more costs."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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