Latest news with #bin strike
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Birmingham bin lorries delayed by picket line, council says
Council chiefs have blamed "actions on the picket line" for delays to rubbish collections across Birmingham on Tuesday. The city council warned residents there may be some disruption in the service in a message posted on said: "Due to actions on the picket line, there were some delays in waste wagons leaving some of our depots on Tuesday. This may affect the number of collections we are able to make. If today is your collection day, please leave your bins out, and we will collect asap."A spokesperson for Unite, which represents the striking bin workers, said its members "engaged in peaceful and lawful picketing". It comes after the BBC was informed talks to resolve Birmingham's bin strike had broken down completely and some bin lorry drivers were now at risk of compulsory redundancy. Conciliation service Acas had been mediating in the negotiations since May, but the council has now reportedly walked City Council leader John Cotton said the authority had "reached the absolute limit" of what it could offer in talks with the general secretary Sharon Graham claimed the council had resorted to a "fire and rehire" strategy, which she said would not work. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Tensions escalate between Labour and major financial backer
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham criticised Angela Rayner 's "utterly abhorrent" conduct regarding the Birmingham bin strike, accusing her of aiding "fire and rehire" tactics. Unite is considering ending its long affiliation with the Labour Party, with Graham stating the £1.5m annual payment is "hard to justify" and members voted to re-examine their relationship. Rayner's allies countered that she resigned from Unite in April and would not be "pushed around," with a Labour source adding Unite rejected a deal that would have undermined equal pay. Graham disputed Rayner's resignation timeline, suggesting she was still a member when seeking election funds and may have recently tried to leave the union. The bin strike began over Birmingham City Council's plan to remove waste recycling roles, potentially costing 170 workers up to £8,000 annually, with talks to resolve the dispute having broken down.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Unite suspends Deputy PM Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strike
Labour's largest union donor, Unite, has suspended Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner over her role in the Birmingham bin strike row. Members of the trade union, one of the UK's largest, also "overwhelmingly" voted to "re-examine its relationship" with Labour over the issue. They said Ms Rayner, who is also housing, communities and local government secretary, Birmingham Council's leader, John Cotton, and other Labour councillors had been suspended for "bringing the union into disrepute". Politics latest: The union said an emergency motion was put to members at its policy conference in Brighton on Friday. Unite is one of the Labour Party's largest union donors, donating £414,610 in the first quarter of 2025 - the highest amount in that period by a union, company or individual. The union condemned Birmingham's Labour council and the government for "attacking the bin workers". Mountains of rubbish have been piling up in the city since January after workers first went on strike over changes to their pay, with all-out strike action starting in March. An agreement has still not been made. Ms Rayner and the councillors had their membership suspended for "effectively firing and rehiring the workers, who are striking over pay cuts of up to £8,000", the union added. General secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite is crystal clear, it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. "Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts. "The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises. "People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer not workers." There was confusion over Ms Rayner's membership of Unite after her office said she was no longer a member, but parliament's latest register of interests had her down as a member in May and Unite said she was registered as a member. Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman said the government's "priority is and always has been the residents of Birmingham". He said the decision by Unite workers to go on strike had "caused disruption" to the city. "We've worked to clean up streets and remain in close contact with the council [...] as we support its recovery," he added. A total of 800 Unite delegates voted on the motion.
Sky News
5 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Unite suspends Deputy PM Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strike
Labour's largest union donor, Unite, has suspended Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner over her role in the Birmingham bin strike row. Members of the trade union, one of the UK's largest, also "overwhelmingly" voted to "re-examine its relationship" with Labour over the issue. They said Ms Rayner, who is also housing, communities and local government secretary, Birmingham Council's leader, John Cotton, and other Labour councillors had been suspended for "bringing the union into disrepute". The union said an emergency motion was put to members at its policy conference in Brighton on Friday. Unite is one of the Labour Party's largest union donors, donating £414,610 in the first quarter of 2025 - the highest amount in that period by a union, company or individual. The union condemned Birmingham's Labour council and the government for "attacking the bin workers". Mountains of rubbish have been piling up in the city since January after workers first went on strike over changes to their pay, with all-out strike action starting in March. An agreement has still not been made. 2:58 Ms Rayner and the councillors had their membership suspended for "effectively firing and rehiring the workers, who are striking over pay cuts of up to £8,000", the union added. General secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite is crystal clear, it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. "Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts. "The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises. "People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer not workers." There was confusion over Ms Rayner's membership of Unite after her office said she was no longer a member, but parliament's latest register of interests had her down as a member in May and Unite said she was registered as a member. Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman said the government's "priority is and always has been the residents of Birmingham". He said the decision by Unite workers to go on strike had "caused disruption" to the city. "We've worked to clean up streets and remain in close contact with the council [...] as we support its recovery," he added. A total of 800 Unite delegates voted on the motion.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
UK's largest union suspends Angela Rayner's membership as it says Labour is not on the side of workers
Unite the Union has suspended Angela Rayner 's membership over the Birmingham bin strike, as it accused the government of failing workers in a row that could lead to a historic split with the Labour Party. The UK's largest union also suspended Birmingham council leader John Cotton and other councillors for what they say is effectively 'firing and rehiring' workers as part of the city's bin strike. Unite also overwhelming voted to re-examine its relationship with Labour. The union's general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts. 'The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises. 'People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer not workers.'
