Unite tells Brimingham City Council they must ‘come to their senses’ to end the bin strike

The Unite union leader has said that Birmingham City Council must “come to their senses” to end the bin strike, the ball is in their court.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham insisted they are there to resolve the strike action with the conciliation service Acas on Thursday.

Seven weeks ago, bin workers walked out as the council is planning to axe the role of waste recycling and collection officer.

Then two days prior to talks continuing the council said bin workers jobs will be downgraded and will lose £8,000 of income per annum, Unite said.

Birmingham City Council claim they are “undertaking a fair and transparent job evaluation process of the driver/team leader role, working with all trade union partners to ensure a fair outcome.”

Graham said that the council’s leader John Cotton must attend negotiations as so far has not yet walked into the negotiating room, despite saying previously he would do.

Graham said on Thursday, “We want the council to come to their senses today. We want the leader of the council John Cotton to come into the negotiating room. He has not yet been in the negotiating room and he needs to be so we can get this dispute solved.

“He is the leader of the council, this is happening to his residents. This is happening across the board, there’s rubbish piling up. When you’re the leader, then you must take the accountability and the responsibility.”

Graham added that Unite is “here to do a deal,” it is now up to the council.

She said, “There are things that need to be ironed out. This isn’t a council that looks to me as though they want to solve this dispute.

“Forty-eight hours ago, they announce the drivers who are likely to be losing £8,000. Why would you do that 48 hours before talks are due to take place?

“I hope that we can come to a deal, we’re here to do a deal, but really the ball is in the council’s court here.”

She continued, “It’s not fair, they have done nothing wrong and it is totally unacceptable that they’ve been put into this position.

“We thought (a deal) was in touching distance, because John Cotton had said in an interview that nobody needs to lose any money.

“What we’ve asked on that is detail of the proposal, the sideways move – can he guarantee that they won’t go down that road again, for example, in a year’s time?”

She added, “These workers have come to work, they’re doing a good job for residents.

“In fact, the residents that I’ve spoken to, and indeed that have come to the picket line, are actually very, very supportive of the drivers.

“If this was somebody’s son, daughter, mother or father, and they walked in and they said: ‘I’m having to take an £8,000 pay cut, a quarter of my pay’ – natural justice says that’s not fair.

“Why are these workers having to pay the price for a £3.9 billion debt not of their making? This is unfair and the council need to come to the table and do a proper deal.”