Birmingham Bin Strike Continues as Union Rejects Latest Offer

City council works to clear 21,000 tonnes of waste backlog while public health concerns escalate and national ripple effects loom.

Birmingham bin workers, represented by Unite, remain on strike over the planned abolition of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role, rejecting the council's latest offer by a 97% vote.
Birmingham City Council reports progress in clearing the waste backlog, which had peaked at 22,000 tonnes, and aims to resume weekly collections for all households by the weekend.
The strike has intensified public health concerns, with reports of large rats causing disruption and fears of a potential health emergency.
The WRCO role, created after a 2017 strike to address pay disparities, is being eliminated as part of a restructuring effort to save costs and address equal pay claims, but workers argue the changes would result in significant pay cuts.
Unite warns that similar strikes could spread to other cities facing restructuring challenges, raising concerns about broader industrial unrest across the public sector.