Keir Starmer urged to use his 'power' to end Birmingham bin strike
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) called on Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner to step in to deliver a "decent settlement" to the bitter row over the scrapping of a role which would lead to some workers losing £8,000 a year.
Members of Unite the Union have been on an indefinite strike since March 11, leading to bags of rubbish piling up across the city.
FBU general secretary Steve Wright said unions affiliated to Labour, like the FBU, would not tolerate a 'betrayal' by the party - drawing comparisons to high-profile disputes in the late 1990s that he says Tony Blair's Labour government failed to intervene in.
Steve Wright said: 'The treatment of the bin workers has been outrageous.
'It's a disgrace that a Labour-led council forced these dedicated public servants to go on strike by attempting to cut their pay by thousands of pounds.
'The Prime Minister and his deputy cannot stand by any longer and allow this attack on the jobs and wages of these workers who have lost their family incomes and faced dire poverty for many months.
'Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner could easily resolve this dispute by insisting that Birmingham Council halts the planned pay cuts and compensates the bin workers for all lost earnings.
'The leadership of the Labour government has the power to do this, and there must be no excuses.
'Nearly 30 years ago, Tony Blair's Labour government failed to intervene in favour of the Liverpool dockers, Magnet strikers in Darlington, and Hillingdon hospital workers.
'Unions affiliated to Labour like the FBU that help fund the party's election campaigns will not tolerate a repeat of this betrayal of striking workers.'
The council insists its move is aimed at improving the waste and recycling service, adding that affected workers have been offered other jobs.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'The Government has been working intensively with the council to tackle the backlog and clean up the streets in the interests of Birmingham residents and public health.
'The Government remains committed to supporting Birmingham's long-term transformation, for the benefit of local residents, and to a sustainable resolution of the equal pay issues which have been left unresolved for far too long.'
Unite has suspended Ms Rayner's membership of the union and is re-examining its relationship with Labour as a result of the dispute.
The city council said this month all its offers had been rejected by the union, sparking fears of redundancies. But Unite warned bin workers could make unfair dismissal claims.
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