Bin collectors in Birmingham have voted overwhelmingly to reject a “totally inadequate” deal aimed at ending a long-running strike, Unite announced.
The Army has been called in to help tackle the rubbish piling up on the streets, as action by refuse collectors continues as part of a dispute over pay.
The strike began on 11 March and has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected with local residents complaining of cat-sized rats amid warmings of a public health emergency.
Unite said the deal would have included “substantial” pay cuts for workers and did not address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.
Meanwhile, a Conservative MP nicknamed who labelled the rats as the Squeaky Blinders said they “must be dancing in the streets”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “For weeks, these workers have faced attacks from government and their employer pushing the lie that only a handful of workers are affected by the council’s plans to cut pay by up to £8,000.
“Instead of peddling untruths about these low paid workers and focusing on winning a media war, the government should have taken the time to check facts and used its office to bring the council to the table in a meaningful way.
“The rejection of the offer is no surprise as these workers simply cannot afford to take pay cuts of this magnitude to pay the price for bad decision after bad decision.”
Birmingham City Council disputes the figures, saying only 17 workers will be affected, losing far less than Unite is claiming.
Military personnel helping Birmingham City Council with its response have not been deployed to collect rubbish, but a small number of office-based military planners have been called in by the Government to give short-term logistical support.
Speaking from Scunthorpe, Angela Rayner said: “There’s no boots on the ground, let me be very clear, we’ve deployed a couple of army logistics to help with the logistical operation of clearing up the rubbish.
“We’ve got over two-thirds of the rubbish cleared off the streets now, this week we’ll start to see cleaning up the pavements and streets as well as the clearance of all of that rubbish, I’m very pleased about that. The kids are off school, obviously it’s Easter holidays, we want that rubbish cleared.”
The deputy prime minister visited the city last week and argued the union to accept an improved offer.
Following the rejection of the deal, Ms Graham said: “From the start, the council has constantly moved the goalposts for these workers, prolonging the strikes in the process. First it was equal pay, then it was about improving the waste service, then cost cutting. The list goes on.
“Unite has set out simple and reasonable steps to the council to resolve these issues. It is important to remember that this dispute is not about a pay rise, it is about preventing serious pay cuts.”
Ms Graham added: “The government must now call a meeting with the stakeholders to ensure these steps are taken to bring the strike to an end.
“The government must now also urgently consider Unite’s proposal for debt restructure at Birmingham City Council and other local authorities.
“Workers and communities cannot continue to pay the price.”
Talks are now set to resume on Wednesday, with Onay Kasab, national lead officer at Unite, suggesting they “could be resolved”
Asked if people living in Birmingham deserve better, he said: “They do. Absolutely nobody deserves this. Our members want to be back at work.
“They love the city and they love the job that they do.
“This doesn’t need to be happening because the council don’t need to be making these cuts, they’re trying to force these cuts through.”
