Birmingham residents disposing of waste at tip due to bin strikes
"It can't carry on like this," Katrina Devlin, one of dozens queuing up at Lifford Lane recycling centre in Birmingham, told the BBC. Cars idled as they sat waiting to dispose their waste on the first week of all out strikes by bin workers in a row over pay, conditions and the loss of a key job role. The city's local authority insists a fair and reasonable offer has been made to the Unite union, but industrial action is now indefinite. For people like Ms Devlin though, intermittent strikes since January have already meant infrequent collections all year.
"It's incredibly untidy," the Birmingham resident said. "You see rubbish everywhere. There's a build up of bin bags on all the streets. "It just looks a mess." As during previous bin strikes in Birmingham, many residents are taking matters into their own hands and taking their rubbish to the tip themselves. Ms Devlin said there had been no recycling collections for weeks, and she had to wait days just to get to the tip. "Just pay them what they want to be paid," she urged the council. "It's having a knock on effect on everyone. They need to come to a compromise."
Steven Reeves said he was angry that his waste had not been collected as normal, forcing him to bring his own waste and that of elderly neighbours to the tip. He claimed there were "rats everywhere" in his area and demanded a council tax refund. "I'm paying for this service I'm not actually getting," he said. "I don't think they are taking it seriously enough. "Every single day that goes by it's just getting worse and worse."
There are also fears the issue has spilled over into neighbouring districts. Peter Whittaker, of the Birmingham-bordering Bromsgrove District Council, said he was concerned the bin strike would impact his area. It came after reports people in Rubery were taking rubbish for family and friends who lived just streets away but were affected by the strike. "Householders have a legal duty to get rid of their rubbish responsibly and I'm very concerned this could escalate in areas that are adjoining Birmingham," he said. "There could be some transference of waste." Despite reports of long queues at tips in nearby Walsall, which can only be used by locals, council leader Gary Perry played down suggestions the strikes were impacting his patch. "We are currently checking all vehicles for proof of residency and turning away as required," he said. "Obviously we have sympathy for Birmingham residents. We're not seeing many."
Council understands frustration
It comes after Birmingham City Council said waste trucks had been blocked from leaving one of its depots on Friday due to industrial action. Bosses apologised for the increased service disruption for residents and said they understood the frustration it was causing. Unite has said the dispute centres on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles from some bin workers. The union says this would make the job less safe and result in pay cuts for affected workers.But Craig Cooper, the council's strategic director of city operations, told BBC Radio WM on Tuesday that a "fair and reasonable consultation had been under way since last autumn".Mr Cooper added that the WRCO role "was not critical to health and safety" and emphasised that the responsibility sat with "every employee, not one person".
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