Missed bin collections are back on the agenda as striking refuse workers step up their action in the more than six-month long pay dispute with Birmingham City CouncilStriking refuse collection workers are once again delaying bin lorries leaving Birmingham City Council depots leading to delays and in some cases missed bin collections once againStriking refuse collection workers are once again delaying bin lorries leaving Birmingham City Council depots leading to delays and in some cases missed bin collections once again(Image: Guy Smallman/Getty Images)

Striking refuse collectors are causing disruption again hindering bin lorries from exiting the council’s bin depots.

Birmingham City Council has confirmed there have been delays at ‘some’ of its depots on Wednesday (July 16) morning and this will once again hit bin collections.

The council posted a ‘waste update’ on X and said: “Due to actions on the picket line there are delays in waste wagons leaving some of our depots this AM.

“This may affect the number of collections we are able to make. If today is your collection day please leave your bins out and we will collect asap.”

Read more: Birmingham bin strike sinks to new low – all we know right now

An injunction had been in place which appeared to have stopped striking bin workers delay bin trucks from leaving depots.

But the council confirmed delays had started again this week.

West Midlands Police was asked why its officers had not intervened and it said: “We continue to have a policing presence at sites across Birmingham as and when required as a result of the current industrial action.

“We attend to deal with any breach of the peace and to ensure any crimes are investigated accordingly.

“We continue to assess the situation and ensure our presence at the sites is in line with our core policing responsibilities.”

While a Unite spokesperson said: “Our members, as always, are engaged in peaceful and lawful picketing.”

Bin workers have now passed the half-year mark of strike action as they say 'No Cuts To Pay' in the ongoing bitter waste row Bin workers have now passed the half-year mark of strike action as they say ‘No Cuts To Pay’ in the ongoing bitter waste row (Image: Guy Smallman/Getty Images)

The ongoing bin strike which began in January, and escalated in March to an all-out strike, shows no signs of abating with Birmingham City Council saying last week jobs are now at risk of redundancy.

The bitter row, now more than six months old, began on January 6 when the council said it was removing 170 Waste Recycling and Collections Officer roles.

The reason the council wants to do so is the risk of multi-million-pound equal pay claims if those roles continue, with other council workers then demanding the same level of pay.

Read more: Unite ‘suspend council leader and Angela Rayner’ over bin strike row

But Unite the Union said its members faced pay cuts of up to £8,000 from their salary – something they were not prepared to accept, leading to walkouts.

Then in April some 200 drivers, mainly men, were told they too faced pay cuts as part of the equal-pay review, with drivers set to be downgraded from the Grade 4 paygrade to Grade 3 – a lower level.

The city council last week announced some 130 workers – all senior drivers – are now at risk of redundancy.

Council leader, Cllr John Cotton said: “We have negotiated in good faith, but unfortunately, Unite has rejected all offers.

“So we must now press ahead to both address our equal pay risk and make much-needed improvements to the waste service.

“Unite’s demands would leave us with another equal pay bill of hundreds of millions of pounds, which is totally unacceptable, and would jeopardise the considerable progress we have made in our financial recovery.”

(Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)

But Unite hit back and said the council’s move is effectively a fire and rehire policy.

And it vowed its workers would go on strike until ‘ Christmas and beyond’ if necessary.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Let’s be very clear, what Birmingham city council has proposed is fire and rehire in a Labour council under a Labour government.

“Council leader John Cotton has never been in negotiations and Angela Rayner, who is responsible for the government commissioners, is now complicit in the fire and rehire of these workers.

“Yet again workers are being asked to pay the price for the incompetence of this Labour council and Labour government.”

Read more: Birmingham locals forced into road to avoid mountain of waste

Mrs Graham continued: “It is little wonder workers are deserting Labour in droves when they seem to be hell bent on attacking workers and leaving the super-rich totally untouched.

“This should not be happening under a Labour government that promised a new deal for working people. It turns those promises into a complete joke.

“But let me be clear, the threats won’t work. Angela Rayner and John Cotton’s shambolic mismanagement of this dispute just makes it more likely that the strikes will continue into Christmas and beyond.”

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On the fire and rehire claims, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “The Government have been very clear on fire and rehire, introducing some of the toughest restrictions in the world, and the council leader supports their stance.

“Unite rejected the council’s fair and reasonable offer and voluntary redundancy remains on the table, as do opportunities for training and redeployment across the council. We will be communicating with our staff and trade unions as to next steps.

“We absolutely have to have fair and equitable pay across the council, so that the council isn’t plunged into another equal pay crisis.”