Huge blow for locals in UK’s ‘third-world city’ where Army called in to tackle cat-sized rats & 21k TONS of rubbish
BIN strikes in Birmingham are set to continue after union workers REJECTED their latest pay offer.
Unite announced this afternoon that its refuse workers have rebuffed the council's "totally inadequate" deal.
It means there is no end in sight for the chaos in Britain's second city where uncollected rubbish has triggered a major health scare.
Ongoing bin strikes have seen mountains of rubbish piled high across Birmingham as "rats the size of cats" continue to terrorise locals.
Military planners have been called in to help clear the overflowing waste that has strewn across the city since the union strike began on March 11.
The month-long crisis has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected and warnings of a public health emergency.
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A major incident was declared by Birmingham City Council which also appealed to neighbouring authorities for assistance.
Angela Rayner has since stepped in and demanded help from the Army to provide logistical support.
It is thought the temporary provision will see planners assigned for a short period.
The Deputy PM visited the city last week and urged the union involved to accept an improved offer.
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Unite boss Sharon Graham said: “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.
Ms Rayner, who is also the Communities Secretary, said: “We know that the council has been engaged in consultation and discussion and negotiation with Unite.
“There is a significantly improved offer on the table for the workers, and I’m urging Unite to suspend their action and to accept that offer.”
The council said talks with Unite have been “productive”.
A Government spokesperson said: “The Government has already provided a number of staff to support the council with logistics and make sure the response on the ground is swift to address the associated public health risks.
“In light of the ongoing public health risk, a small number of office-based military personnel with operational planning expertise have been made available to Birmingham City Council to further support in this area.
“This builds on a range of measures we’ve supported the council on to date – including neighbouring authorities providing additional vehicles and crews, and opening household waste centres to Birmingham residents.”
Ms Rayner has faced pressure in recent days to hand back the £10,000 she received from the trade union at the centre of the strike.
She accepted the donation last year to help bankroll her general election campaign.
Conservative frontbencher Kevin Hollinrake has since written to Labour demanding to know if Ms Rayner will now hand the money back.
He said: “Rats the size of cats are roaming the streets. Rubbish is piling up at an astonishing rate.
“It’s not just a local scandal. It’s a national embarrassment — and a public health emergency.
“The city is being held hostage by Unite.
“Unite has donated tens of millions to Labour.
“Since Keir Starmer became leader, Labour has received over £30million from the unions.
“Even more troubling, Angela Rayner, Secretary of State responsible for resolving this strike, has received £10,000 from Unite during the last general election.
“That raises serious questions about potential conflicts of interest — and whether Labour ministers are putting union barons before Birmingham residents.”
Meanwhile, tensions rose after a Union boss was revealed to have her rubbish collected while mountains of rotting waste piled up in the streets.
Left-wing firebrand Annamarie Kilcline lives 50 miles from the crippling industrial actions she is spearheading in Birmingham.
She remains unaffected by the chaos caused by tons of refuse in Britain’s second largest city.
More than 21,000 tons have been uncollected since binmen started the strikes over wage cuts.
Council bosses warned it could take weeks to clear the streets.
With chaos now unfolding on the streets, the Labour-run local authority is desperate to make savings, having been declared effectively bankrupt in September 2023.
But Unite is doubling down — and Clare Keogh, its national officer for local government, sees “massive potential” for similar unrest “up and down the country”.
Locals in Birmingham’s most deprived areas feel “abandoned”, including delivery driver Rashid, 35.
He is barely able to leave his home due to giant piles of rotting food, decomposing nappies, hundreds of dirty food trays, ten-litre vats of cooking oil, greasy pizza boxes and scores of rodent-gnawed bin liners.
Rashid is desperate to ditch his £850-a-month two-bed flat which he moved into just a month before the bin men walked out over pay cuts.
Between chesty coughs that have only developed since the pile-up began, he says: “It smells atrocious. I can even smell it inside my house.
“Shopkeepers, restaurants and locals throw their rubbish here all the time — it’s nearly as tall as my front door.
But the dispute has further strained relations between Labour and Unite, with the union’s general secretary Sharon Graham speaking out.
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The council says only 17 workers will be affected, and they stand to lose much less than Unite has claimed.
A further ballot on a deal to end the strike is expected to take place on Monday.
