The bitter bin strike in Birmingham has taken a dramatic new turn as agency staff brought in to replace striking workers have voted to join the picket lines themselves.
Strike Escalation Over Workplace Treatment
Workers employed through the workforce platform Job and Talent have alleged unsustainable workloads and a toxic workplace culture, leading to what Unite describes as a "real escalation in the dispute." The union confirmed that 22 agency staff voted in favour of joining the strike action from 1st December.
This development comes amid an all-out strike by hundreds of refuse workers that began in March, prompting Birmingham City Council to declare a "major incident." The dispute has attracted global attention with images of streets lined with piled-up rubbish, overflowing wheelie bins and long queues at waste collection points.
Extended Industrial Action Looms
In the latest ballot conducted by Unite, 99.5% of workers voted in favour of further strike action with a 75% turnout of 275 workers. The union has warned that this could see strikes continue until mid-May 2026 if the dispute remains unresolved.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham placed responsibility squarely on the council and Job and Talent, stating: "Birmingham council is spending a fortune it doesn't have on a dispute that could easily be resolved by agreeing a fair deal for workers." She described the situation as caused by the "terrible way they have been treated by Job and Talent and Birmingham council."
Council Response and Collection Claims
Birmingham City Council expressed disappointment that the dispute continues unresolved with unions, while describing the agency staff involvement as "a small number" in a separate dispute with Job and Talent.
The council spokesperson maintained that their contingency plan is working effectively, claiming: "We have been collecting an average of approximately 1,330 tonnes of kerbside waste every day, more than we did prior to industrial action, and over the last six months we have collected over 100,000 tonnes of kerbside waste."
Unite's national lead officer Onay Kasab countered that the union remains committed to returning to "meaningful negotiations" while warning Birmingham residents that "the misery of bin strikes can continue through Christmas, New Year and beyond May's local elections."
The original dispute began over the council's removal of a senior role on each bin crew, which the union insists is safety critical while the council argues it is not industry standard.
Job and Talent responded to the allegations, stating they "take any allegation concerning worker welfare and safety extremely seriously" and "do not tolerate intimidation or threats against workers for exercising their rights." The company noted that the strike vote "reflects only a small portion of our overall workforce" and committed to continuing regular communication with workers.
