Birmingham bin strikes could last until Christmas after new vote
Birmingham bin strikes could last until December after union members voted to continue industrial action on Thursday.
The Unite union said its members voted by 97 per cent to continue the strikes, which have left much of the city littered with bin bags in recent months, causing concerns over public health.
On-and-off strike action has been taking place since January when an initial 12 walkouts were scheduled over four months. Bin collection workers then announced unlimited strikes on March 11.
Disputes were initially over the removal of waste recycling and collection officer roles but later expanded to include the local authority's decision to hire temporary workers, which the union claims will 'undermine' strikes.
Birmingham council insisted on Thursday that it had made a 'fair and reasonable' offer to bin workers.
But Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, said: 'After smearing these workers in public since January and telling them to accept a fair and reasonable offer that never existed, the council finally put a proposal in writing last week.
'True to form, the proposal came weeks late and was not in line with the ballpark offer discussed during Acas talks in May. It had been watered down by the government commissioners and the leader of the council despite them never having been in the negotiations.
'It beggars belief that a Labour government and Labour council are treating these workers so disgracefully. It is hardly surprising that so many working people are asking whose side Labour is on.
'The decision-makers at Birmingham council need to get in the room and put forward an acceptable offer. Unite will not allow these workers to be financially ruined — the strikes will continue for as long as it takes.
'Unite calls on the decision-makers to let common sense prevail in upcoming negotiations.'
Birmingham council denied Graham's claims that the bill had been watered down and said its bin collection service needed to be changed entirely.
The council said: 'This is a service that needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve and the council remains committed to resolving this dispute.
'We have made a fair and reasonable offer that we have asked Unite to put to their members and we are awaiting their response.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
24 minutes ago
- Times
Inside the 20-year MI6 operation to find Russian spy in its ranks
British intelligence chiefs spent 20 years hunting for a suspected Russian mole inside MI6 but failed to track down a traitor, it has been revealed. An elaborate investigation, called Operation Wedlock, is said to have spanned several continents and lasted until around 2015 before finally being labelled 'inconclusive'. The investigation was led by MI6's sister agency, MI5, in what sources described as an extraordinary case of one UK intelligence agency effectively spying on another. • Hunt for Russian spy in MI6 revealed after 30 years MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service, is the UK spy agency responsible for overseas intelligence, while MI5, the Security Service, is the domestic intelligence agency that handles national security threats. After being tipped off by the CIA about an alleged double agent in the 1990s, MI5 is said to have deployed a team of up to 35 surveillance, planning and desk officers, who travelled across the world in pursuit of the mole. Their hunt for the traitor has been documented in a recently published book, The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB, by the former BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera. The book says the CIA was concerned that an unknown MI6 officer had been 'turned by Moscow' and was relaying secrets to Russia. Sources with close knowledge of the operation have since disclosed to The Guardian that the UK identified a suspect within the agency and tasked MI5 with surveilling him. • How an oddball smuggled out the KGB's biggest secrets '[We were told] the target was a Russian spy … The US believed he was leaking information to the Russians. He was suspect 1A. The job was taken more seriously than any other [MI5] was involved in. Wedlock eclipsed them all,' one source said. The Wedlock team did not operate from MI5 headquarters at Thames House in Westminster and was instead based in a building in Wandsworth, south London, close to MI6's riverside building in Vauxhall. The team went to great lengths to monitor their man. MI5's technical operations team, known then as A1, is reported to have bugged the MI6 officer's home, covertly breaking in to plant listening and video devices. A live feed then beamed images back to an operations room. One source said they also parked a car outside his house, which was fitted with a camera inside a tissue box on the ledge behind the back seats. Over the years surveillance teams are said to have tracked the suspect's movements abroad, following him to cities across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Doing so is considered very high-risk move as operating overseas is outside MI5's jurisdiction. When the team was sent into a country with real passports under false names, or somewhere without the knowledge of the local government, the agents were reportedly warned that they were 'on their own' if detained. The operation is understood to have continued, in one form or another, until at least 2015, by which time the suspect had left MI6. However, he was not thought to be working alone, a source said, with two other people, also based in London, believed to be helping him. Wedlock was described as a 'highly unusual operation … the longest in recent memory and probably the most expensive'. Despite their efforts, the MI5 team was ultimately unable to establish whether there was a mole — raising the possibility that an agent may have got away with spying for Russia. 'MI5 never got the conclusive proof it was looking for,' the source said, adding that if it was not him, then it was possible that MI6 'still has a mole to find'.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Ninja's summer sale buy with £70 off ‘keeps food cold for five days' – ideal for camping, festivals and BBQs
Planning to explore the great outdoors this summer? Ninja has slashed the price of a popular solution for keeping food cold. The Ninja FrostVault cooler has been reduced from £199.99 to £129.99, saving £70 off. 1 Ninja FrostVault 28L Hard Cooler £129.99 (was £199.99) With the current heatwave and the school holidays approaching, many of us are planning day trips and staycations within the UK. Summer is the time to make the most of exploring new places, but having the right kit can make days out much more enjoyable. Investing in a good cooler keeps food costs down and saves you time queuing, and the Ninja FrostVault is worth considering while it's on sale. The FrostVault is designed to keep food cold for an exceptionally long time - with ice remaining frozen for up to five days. Thanks to it's large size, the Ninja cooler can be filled with cans, bottles and food, and the 28L size fits up to 48 cans, so it's enough to cater for a large family or group of friends. It's ideal for festival-goers, as the events are notoriously expensive for food and drinks, while some campsites have no refreshment options at all. Picnics and beach days are made easier too, or if you fancy a day sunbathing in the garden, you can avoid trips back and forward to the kitchen. For food that's not meant to be ice-cold, there's a handy Dry Zone drawer on the outside, which can be used to store sandwiches, fruit and anything else you want to grab easily. The built-in handles also mean you can just grab the cooler and go. Shoppers are praising the highly-rated cooler, with one saying: ''I'm so happy I had my Ninja FrostVault at a recent festival, it kept my drinks and snacks cool from Wednesday to Sunday (five days!!) and having a cool drink was just so needed when it had been a hot day walking round fields!'' ''I would highly recommend for regular campers or festival-goers.'' Another shopper commented: ''Excellent, does what it says it does.'' ''Great for keeping drinks nice and cool and great when having BBQs.'' It is worth keeping in mind that you will need a large amount of ice prepped when packing the cooler, as one shopper vouched: ''Good size compartment and tray - need a lot of ice for a few days which I have not yet tested.''
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Major provider offering FREE smartwatch with Samsung Galaxy S24 FE – plans from £18p/m
Sky Mobile has unveiled an exciting deal that's caught my eye. You can now get the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE with plans starting from just £18 per month, complete with a free Galaxy Watch7 worth £289. Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, 50GB, £28/month (Claim free Galaxy Watch7 worth £289) BUY FROM SKY If you're in the market for a new phone, this is a seriously good way to get more for your money. Sky Mobile is no stranger to cutting prices on its handset plans, but this offer throws in some free tech too. The standout comes on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, with prices starting from just £18 a month (was £23), and no upfront cost. There's also half-price data on selected plans, and my top pick gets you a solid 50GB for £10 a month instead of £20. On top of that, Sky's throwing in a free Galaxy Watch7 worth £289, which makes this one of the best value deals we've seen from the provider in a while. It's not just about the price either, Sky runs on O2's network, so you're getting decent coverage and reliability. The Galaxy S24 FE itself is a great all-rounder if you want something that doesn't break the bank but still delivers on features. I haven't had hands-on time with it yet, but on paper, it's a strong Android handset for years to come. You get a large 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, perfect for watching videos or gaming on the go. There's the same Exynos 2400 chip you'll find in Samsung's pricier models, paired with 8GB of RAM, so it'll easily handle day-to-day tasks and multitasking. You're also getting a triple camera setup on the back, something any photography lover will appreciate. It includes a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide, and 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, ideal for everything from quick snaps to holiday pics. Battery life is decent too, with a 4,500mAh battery that's larger than the latest handset coming off the Apple production line. If your contract's nearly up or you're thinking of switching, this one's definitely worth a look. Best Sky Mobile deals Sky Mobile has plenty of top-brand handsets up for grabs right now. If you're happy with your current phone and want something low-fuss, check out the best SIM-only deals we've found from all major providers. We've also rounded up the best Sky deals out there right now to make life a bit easier.
