Birmingham City Council and trade union Unite have reached an agreement to end the bitter dispute which has seen rubbish piled up in the streets
Birmingham’s bin strike is finally close to an end after a deal was struck – more than a year after the crisis began.
The Labour-controlled city council has reached an agreement with trade union Unite. Workers have been taking part in strikes since January last year, and the bitter row has seen rubbish piled up in the streets for months.
Speaking days ahead of the crunch local elections, the city’s council chief said an end to the damaging dispute is “within sight”. Refuse workers in Birmingham first began striking on January 6, 2025, in a dispute over pay and the removal of a number of roles. An all-out strike followed two months later on March 11.
A massive 21,000 tonnes of waste piled up across Birmingham last year, prompting the council to declare a major incident. Last summer Unite said it would review its relationship with the Labour Party as the crisis deepened.
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The breakthrough comes just a fortnight ahead of crucial local elections, which are expected to be challenging for Labour. Cllr John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “After months of frustration and delay, for the first time in over 12 months a negotiated settlement to end the bin strike is now within sight.
“This has been a challenging and complex process, but after months of hard work, on the principles and parameters of a deal, I believe a new improved offer can be made and terms can be put in place that address the ‘ballpark issues’ discussed at ACAS that Unite members can agree in order to end the strike once and for all.
“A deal that would be good for the workforce, represent good value for money and would not repeat the mistakes of the past and risk creating new structural equal pay liabilities. I want our workforce to be able to return to work and help us deliver the quality refuse and recycling services the people of this city deserve.
“That’s why throughout this dispute I have resisted those who would dismiss the striking workers instead of negotiating.I have instructed officers to move forward with negotiations so that we can bring this matter to a close.”
And he went on: “It’s now clear that whilst other parties have no plan, only Labour can end this dispute and deliver a refuse service that works for everyone in Birmingham.”
The dispute flared over council plans to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles. Unite said the move would lead to pay cuts of around £8,000 for hundreds of its members, a figure the council has always disputed.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “As I have said on many occasions, the workers come first and we will always do everything in our power to ensure that our members are treated with dignity and respect.
“The move made today by the leader of the council is a vindication of the bin workers’ struggle for a decent deal. Over the last few months, there have been intense negotiations to get the blocked ‘ballpark’ deal back on the table, so that our members could vote on it.
“The reason why we are not yet at that stage is purely down to the vindictive interference of the government backed commissioners who have attempted to block the deal again and clearly overstepped their remit.
“Their lack of both experience and industrial relations competence has been a major factor in this dispute, and their malevolent game playing has been an absolute disgrace.
“The commissioner model is a licence for a few unelected individuals to print money and play games. They have let the workers down, the people of Birmingham down and the council down.
“I salute the fortitude of my members who have needlessly been forced to endure months of attacks and hardship to get us to this point.”