Overview

• Unite’s Sharon Graham led a Sept. 20 rally and march to Victoria Square with hundreds of bin workers, trade unionists and community groups.
• Refuse crews have been on strike since January, and Unite members have extended their industrial action mandate through March 2026.
• The dispute focuses on removing or downgrading WRCO duties and driver roles, which Unite labels effective fire‑and‑rehire with cuts up to £8,000, a characterization the council disputes.
• Birmingham City Council says it has reached the absolute limit of what it can offer to protect finances and equal‑pay liabilities, with redundancy consultations ongoing for about 170 driver‑leader posts.
• The council says a new fleet and contingency plan are collecting about 1,330 tonnes of kerbside waste daily with fewer missed pick‑ups, while residents continue to face prolonged recycling backlogs.