Bin workers' pay being 'blocked' by government as deal being 'sabotaged'

FURIOUS UNION OFFICIALS CLAIM THAT GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONERS ARE 'BLOCKING' ANY PROGRESS BEING MADE IN ONGOING NEGOTIATION TALKS - BUT COUNCIL SAY 'FAIR AND REASONABLE'

OFFER HAS BEEN MADE 06:00, 21 May 2025Updated 12:06, 21 May 2025 Unite has claimed that government commissioners are 'blocking' a deal from being made to end the long-running

all-out bin strikes. Birmingham City Council and the union remain at loggerheads as industrial action progresses into its tenth week after city waste workers began an all-out strike on March

11. Council workers are disputing the city council’s decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles from its bin crews, affecting 170 staff. READ MORE: Birmingham’s

new Lord Mayor elected as ceremony interrupted by bin strike protesters The arbitration and conciliation service Acas has been involved in negotiations since May 1, but union bosses claimed

on Wednesday, May 21, that government commissioners have "sabotaged" progress. In response to Unite's claims, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said they are

"committed to seeking a negotiated settlement to end the dispute." Article continues below The local authority previously said it had no choice but to eliminate the WRCO role

because of its implications in equal pay issues. The council has previously insisted that a “fair and reasonable offer” has been made to striking workers, with council leader John Cotton

adding it “cannot and will not entertain anything that would re-open an equal pay liability”. Regarding ongoing action at bin depots, a council spokesperson told BirminghamLive on the

morning of May 20 that "very few" waste trucks were deployed as a result of picket line action. In fresh claims made by Unite on May 21, the union alleged that the ‘fair and

reasonable offer’ "did not exist." UNITE STATEMENT Furious Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, added that ongoing negotiations had been a "shambles." She said: “Unite

deals with thousands of negotiations every year. From the council side, the negotiations in this dispute have been a shambles, with the government right at the heart of it." She went

on to claim: “The offer briefed to the press for all affected workers simply never existed and the new ballpark offer discussed at ACAS has now been blocked by government commissioners.

"Instead of trying to injunct picket lines and attack workers, the council leader should stop playing games, get in the room and solve this dispute. “Birmingham City Council’s bin

workers, residents and the public at large have all been lied to. “The bottom line is that our members can’t afford to have savage pay cuts of up to £8,000 with no mitigation. Until that

issue is addressed, the strikes will continue. "If Labour is truly the party for workers, how can this government be aiding and abetting these cuts and once again allowing workers and

communities to pay the price?” Unite has issued an appeal to the prime minister to "make sure that the real decision makers are in the negotiations" and come forward with a

"clear and meaningful" offer. COUNCIL RESPONSE In response to Unite's claims, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: ““The Council remains committed to seeking a

negotiated settlement to end the dispute. Our focus has been to find a solution to this that does not put the council in a position that compromise us financially and legally. Article

continues below "The Leader and the Commissioners are fully committed to finding a solution to this strike, and it is untrue to suggest otherwise or imply they are blocking the process.

This is why we are committed to making a revised offer. “This is a service that needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve.”