As Birmingham’s bin workers mark one year of striking, union members remain steadfast in their commitment to continue the battle. The industrial action began on January 6 last year, sparked by a clash between the Labour-led city council and Unite the union over the elimination of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer role.
Striking workers have voiced ongoing concerns about pay and working conditions, while the city council maintains that it has presented a “fair and reasonable” offer. Since the strike’s onset, Birmingham has endured growing piles of rubbish, multiple protests, disruptive council meetings, and widespread public frustration.
Efforts to negotiate a settlement waned last summer, with the council declaring it had reached the “absolute limit” of its offers. As the strike presses into 2026, Unite has indicated its readiness to sustain industrial action beyond the city’s upcoming local elections.
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Matthew Reid, a refuse collector and Unite member, expressed the difficulty of the situation for everyone involved. “We don’t want the streets to be a mess, nor do we want Birmingham’s residents to suffer from missed recycling, garden waste, and bulky item collections,” he said. “But we can’t understand why, for six months, the council won’t come to the table. If we’re truly far apart, then we need to sit and talk.”
Addressing the possibility of the strike extending through spring and summer, Reid added, “My fellow members and I are absolutely determined to carry on. The way we’ve been treated is disgusting.”
His message to Birmingham residents was one of embarrassment and frustration. “I’m embarrassed that a Labour council can’t negotiate with its trade unions to settle a waste dispute that should have been resolved last July. Together we’ve endured six months of distress, rat infestations, and fly-tipping that were completely avoidable. The council should have remained at the negotiating table — I can’t believe they walked away.”
At a recent council finance meeting, Birmingham Council managing director Joanne Roney described negotiations as “cordial, polite and well managed on both sides.” However, she underscored the council’s concerns about equal pay liabilities and “best-value” considerations being scrutinized by government-appointed commissioners overseeing the council’s financial recovery.
“It’s incredibly difficult to navigate these hurdles,” Roney said. “This is not the workers’ fault but a failure of the council to address equal pay issues over many years.”
She also noted that the council had made two settlement offers, both rejected by Unite, though she affirmed that “doors remain open” should the union bring forward a proposal.
Responding, Matthew Reid countered, “The doors are not really open. They want us to accept offers we’ve already turned down. Instead, they keep piling on more costs.”
Council leader John Cotton also weighed in, claiming Unite had dismissed “a succession of fair offers.” He emphasized the council’s unwillingness to concede terms that would reopen “equal pay challenges” currently being resolved.
“I want this dispute ended,” Cotton stated, “but not at the cost of the council’s financial viability.”
Meanwhile, government-appointed commissioners reported that with no negotiations ongoing and no clear path forward, the council is pursuing alternative workforce arrangements. While most workers have accepted these alternatives, compulsory redundancies have been necessary in a few cases.
The commissioners commended the council’s resilience amidst protests and criticism, stating their support for the approach as the council’s only feasible option.
As the standoff stretches into its second year, Birmingham’s bin workers remain determined, the council firm in its position, and residents caught in the middle of a bitter and unresolved dispute.