An end to the long-running Birmingham bin strike is “within sight” after a breakthrough in the bitter dispute over jobs and pay, the city council leader has announced.
Breakthrough in negotiations
Council leader John Cotton said he believed a new offer could be made to the Unite union, whose members have been on all-out strike for more than a year. The dispute flared over council plans to remove a role in its waste recycling and collection service, which it insisted was necessary to make improvements and bring the service in line with other local authorities. Unite said the move would lead to pay cuts of around £8,000 for hundreds of its members, a figure the council has always disputed.
Rubbish piled up on Birmingham’s streets, leading to residents complaining about it being a health hazard. Mr Cotton said: “After months of frustration and delay, for the first time in over 12 months, a negotiated settlement to end the bin strike is now within sight.”
Details of the proposed deal
No details were given about the deal. Mr Cotton added: “This has been a challenging and complex process, but after months of hard work, on the principles and parameters of a deal, I believe a new, improved offer can be made and terms can be put in place that addresses the ballpark issues discussed at Acas, that Unite members can agree in order to end the strike once and for all.”
He emphasised that the deal would be “good for the workforce, represent good value for money and would not repeat the mistakes of the past and risk creating new structural equal pay liabilities.”
Political context
The breakthrough was announced just over a week before the local council elections. Mr Cotton noted: “Whilst the pre-election period prevents the council from making a final decision prior to May 7, a re-elected Labour administration under my leadership will work to get this deal approved as a matter of absolute priority.”
He thanked the people of Birmingham for their patience and said: “It’s now clear that whilst other parties have no plan, only Labour can end this dispute and deliver a refuse service that works for everyone in Birmingham.”
