Unions form 'megapicket' at bin strike depot

A "megapicket" was taking place at a Birmingham refuse depot after members of other unions travelled from across the country to show their support for the city's striking bin workers.

Refuse workers belonging to Unite began an all-out strike on 11 March due to a dispute with the city council over proposed changes to roles and resulting pay cuts.

Hundreds of union members, who travelled on coaches from as far as Bristol and Leeds, arrived at the Lifford Lane depot in Kings Norton to stand in solidarity.

A city council spokesperson told the BBC that it "remain committed to delivering a fair and sustainable deal for drivers and collectors".

The "megapicket" was organised by Strike Map, a group of trade union activists who created a digital map to demonstrate where industrial action is taking place.

Henry Fowler, from the group, coordinated Friday's protest and said it was a "fantastic turnout" with workers from a number of unions, including the train drivers' union Aslef and the Fire Brigades Union, turning up.

The authority announced on social media that the action meant the depot was closed on Friday and they aimed for planned collections to be carried out on Saturday or as soon as possible.

Speaking from the picket line, Derek Roberts, a bin lorry driver who has worked for the service for more than 30 years, said he was " humbled and very grateful" to see the amount of people who had decided to join forces with his fellow Unite members.

"Knowing they've had to get up first thing in the morning and travel to support us has been fantastic," he said.

Mr Roberts said he initially joined the strike in support of his colleagues who were at risk of an £8,000 pay cut.

But he later heard his hard work in rising from the bottom of his grade to the top could be lost in "one swoop" after it was announced the drivers' pay could also be cut.

Another refuse worker from the city, Adrian Hyde, said he was "extremely angry" that the strikes were still ongoing.

"This could have been sorted weeks ago, it shouldn't have even come to this," he added.

"If they're bankrupt don't take it out on the workers, we didn't cause this problem, [the council] have caused this by years of mismanagement at the top," Mr Hyde added.

The city council spokesperson said "negotiations are continuing" and previously told the BBC its job evaluation process was "fair and transparent".

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