Call for Birmingham City Council leader to quit in bin strikes row
In response, a spokesperson for the city council did not comment on calls for Cotton to consider his position but said they would be talking to staff and unions about their next steps.The union walked out on strike after claiming 170 workers would face losing up to £8,000 a year due to the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.Mountains of rubbish have been seen across the city at points during the strikes, since bin collection workers walked out in January, with an all-out strike going on since March.
On Wednesday, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham repeated earlier claims that the council had resorted to a "fire and rehire" strategy.Accusing the council of a "shambolic" mishandling of the dispute, including a "daft" attempt to negotiate via a statement to the media, Mr Kasab said on Thursday of Cotton: "I think he really has to seriously consider his position."The national lead officer also stated there had "not been numerous offers that the union has turned down"."The question to the council is how do redundancies and cuts to people's pay improve services," he added. "That's the question that John Cotton really has to answer now."The council leader said on Wednesday that the authority had "now run out of time", after negotiating in good faith.Cotton added "unfortunately Unite has rejected all offers so we must now press ahead to both address our equal pay risk and make much needed improvements to the waste service".The Labour-run council would communicate with staff and unions as to its next steps, with voluntary redundancy remaining on the table alongside opportunities for training and redeployment, the leader said.
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North Wales Chronicle
19 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Keir Starmer urged to intervene in Birmingham bin strike
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner to step in to deliver a 'decent settlement' to the bitter row over pay. Members of Unite have been on all-out strike since March, leading to bags of rubbish piling up across the city's streets. FBU general secretary Steve Wright said the Labour Government must use its power and influence to insist that Birmingham Council halts planned pay cuts, which Unite says would lead to workers losing £8,000-a-year. The firefighters' leader said unions affiliated to Labour like the FBU would not tolerate a 'betrayal' of the bin workers similar to that of the Liverpool dockers, Magnet kitchen strikers in Darlington, and Hillingdon hospital workers, during a series of 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.' 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 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.'
South Wales Argus
19 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Keir Starmer urged to intervene in Birmingham bin strike
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner to step in to deliver a 'decent settlement' to the bitter row over pay. Members of Unite have been on all-out strike since March, leading to bags of rubbish piling up across the city's streets. FBU general secretary Steve Wright said the Labour Government must use its power and influence to insist that Birmingham Council halts planned pay cuts, which Unite says would lead to workers losing £8,000-a-year. The Prime Minister has been urged to intervene (Frank Augstein/PA) The firefighters' leader said unions affiliated to Labour like the FBU would not tolerate a 'betrayal' of the bin workers similar to that of the Liverpool dockers, Magnet kitchen strikers in Darlington, and Hillingdon hospital workers, during a series of 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.' 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 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.'
Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Keir Starmer urged to intervene in Birmingham bin strike
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner to step in to deliver a 'decent settlement' to the bitter row over pay. Members of Unite have been on all-out strike since March, leading to bags of rubbish piling up across the city's streets. FBU general secretary Steve Wright said the Labour Government must use its power and influence to insist that Birmingham Council halts planned pay cuts, which Unite says would lead to workers losing £8,000-a-year. The Prime Minister has been urged to intervene (Frank Augstein/PA) The firefighters' leader said unions affiliated to Labour like the FBU would not tolerate a 'betrayal' of the bin workers similar to that of the Liverpool dockers, Magnet kitchen strikers in Darlington, and Hillingdon hospital workers, during a series of 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.' 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 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.'
