Calls for police to maintain Birmingham bin strike presence
Why are Birmingham's bin workers on strike?Bin strike exposes divide between rich and poorI haven't had my recycling collected since JanuaryHarmer urged West Midlands Police to have a "consistent presence" at picket lines and not to wait "until the city reaches crisis point again"."Human-height mounds of black bags" became commonplace in the city and Harmer described it as "a national embarrassment and terrible for the city's reputation"."The police have powers to stop strikers from obstructing working crews – they should not wait for the city to reach crisis point again before acting," he added.
Police patrols had previously helped secure the smooth exit of trucks from depots in recent weeks by using powers under Section 14 of the Public Order Act, a law used around public gatherings.But a force spokesperson confirmed those powers were no longer in place as the issue "does not currently meet the threshold".It came after waste collections were disrupted on Thursday when bin lorries were blocked from leaving two depots by striking refuse workers, leading to reports of rubbish piling up in parts of the city again.Police were parked nearby and were seen getting out of their patrol cars but they remained a distance away.
The council said it was not safe for their trucks to leave the depot due to the police no longer using their Section 14 powers."The gates had been locked for safety reasons, and we had already attempted to get lorries out of the depot. The gates were reopened at 8 am," it said.Union Unite, which organised the strike, has been approached for a comment on Monday's picket lines.The all-out strike began on 11 March in a dispute with the council over plans to downgrade the roles of drivers, which the union said would see pay cuts of up to £8,000.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
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