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Birmingham bin strike starts in row over job roles

BBC A group of men wearing high-vis orange jackets and trousers stand on a picket line waving red Unite the union flags, next to a road near the canal.BBC
The strikes began on Monday and 12 days of action are planned across four months

Bin strikes have begun in Birmingham, with 12 days of action planned across four months.

More than 350 workers voted for industrial action last month, with their union saying this was due to the city council's decision to "downgrade" some roles.

The strikes will affect anyone who has their waste collected by the council on the planned strike days.

Birmingham City Council said it was disappointed the action was taking place and it would do all it could to minimise disruption for residents.

The strikes began on Monday and more are planned for 14, 22 and 30 January, followed by 7, 10,18 and 26 February, and then 6, 14 and 25 March, and 2 April.

The Unite union said an overtime ban had also been in place since 2 January, which could cause disruption on days when there is no strike action planned.

A woman stands in front of a group of men who are wearing high-vis orange jackets and waving red flags. The woman has short dark red hair, and she is wearing a black jacket over a red and purple top.
Zoe Mayou of the Unite union said a review was needed before the roles in question were removed

The dispute centres on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles from some bin workers, the Unite union has said.

The union has said this role brings safety expertise to an "often dirty and dangerous job", citing the example of the death of a Coventry bin worker last year.

It also says about 170 affected workers face losing an average of £8,000 a year due to the decision.

Zoe Mayou, Unite's regional officer for the West Midlands, said a review was needed before removing the "safety-critical" WRCO roles.

"Birmingham City Council chose not to pause anything, to go straight ahead, and to be honest, that's why we're taking action today," said Ms Mayou, who was on a picket line with bin workers in Kings Norton on Monday.

The council said it took the safety of employees and residents extremely seriously and added it was also supporting the workers affected by the change.

"There are several options that are available to suit different personal circumstances, and, of the 170 affected employees, over 130 have already opted for redeployment, driver training, or voluntary redundancy," it said in a statement.

Jeremy Lang A man with a ginger and white beard, wearing a pale blue hat and a dark jacket, stands next to a fence while holding a wheelie bin.Jeremy Lang
Resident Jeremy Lang said he was sad the strikes had happened again

Jeremy Lang, who lives in the Edgbaston area of the city, said the workers were entitled to strike but he was "sad that this strike situation has come round again".

Mr Lang told BBC Radio WM: "Are we ever going to get to a situation where we go beyond this, and we actually have a waste system that works smoothly?"

The last major strike of the city's bin collectors was in 2018, when rubbish piled up on the streets.

Residents in several neighbourhoods also reported missed collections last year, before the current strikes, which the council partly attributed to staff absences.

Aston residents said last month they were concerned that the strikes could make rat and mice problems worse.

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