Birmingham City Council bin workers will undertake strike action beginning in January 2025 after talks broke down on Tuesday (17/12).

The dispute will involve over 350 members of Unite and is taking place over what the union has described as “attacks on workers pay”

Beginning on Monday 6 January 2025 and continuing into April 2025 there will be 12 full days of strike action in total.

Unite said the action “is a result of the council’s decision to abolish the safety critical Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role.”

“The 150 affected workers face losing £8,000 a year and the cut could also reduce future pension payments. Many of the affected workers have decades of service at the council.”

They further added “talks broke down on Tuesday (17/12) when the council unexpectedly refused to delay the implementation of the cut in the WRCO role and was not even prepared to wait for the competition of the council’s own job evaluation process on the loader role which is set be completed in February 2025.”

Statement from Birmingham City Council

“We are disappointed this action is taking place, but we are continuing to work through the dispute resolution procedure.

“We would like to assure residents we will do all we can to minimise disruption during any potential industrial action. We thank residents for their understanding and patience during this challenging period and assure everyone we are committed to resolving the situation in the best interest of all parties involved.

“Up-to-date information will be provided via our website, social media and encourage residents to sign up to bin collection newsletter.” On Unite’s claims of unsafe working conditions, the council said: “Ensuring the safety of our employees and residents is taken extremely seriously, and health and safety is everyone’s responsibility.

“We have undertaken steps to ensure Birmingham City Council colleagues affected by the change in working arrangements are supported. There are several options available to suit different personal circumstances, and of the 170 affected employees, over 130 have already opted for redeployment, driver training or voluntary redundancy.

“We have moved quickly to minimise this period of uncertainty for everyone. We are committed to working with our colleagues across the service for the best outcome so we deliver a consistent and reliable service that Birmingham residents deserve.”

Strike Plan Details

From Thursday, 2 January, an overtime ban will come into effect alongside a work-to-rule policy. This means workers will strictly adhere to their official start and finish times and will return to the work yard for their 15-minute break and 30-minute lunch period.

The dates of strike action are January 6,14, 22, 30. February 7, 10,18, 26, March 6, 14, 25, 2 April.