New Birmingham bins anger as collections axed and taxpayers told to take waste to the tip
Taxpayers across Birmingham have seen their recycling collection suspended - with the council telling them to take their rubbish to the tip instead. The detail was buried in an updated version of guidance to households during the current bins strike.
The online document was updated yesterday, Tuesday, February 4 - but came too late to stop residents putting recycling bins out as usual in parts of the city. Many remained on the edge of driveways in Sutton Coldfield this morning - 24 hours after the usual collection date - with households unaware their recycling bins were not going to be emptied.
It came as cash-strapped Birmingham City Council revealed a planned 7.5 per cent council tax rise in the new financial year, on top of the near ten per cent rise imposed last April. Widespread disruption is expected across the city as striking Unite union members walk out for 12 days this month and 13 days in March over planned job losses.
READ MORE: New list of Birmingham bin strike dates as industrial action escalates from tomorrow
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The council's updated online document said: "Unfortunately, the escalation of the industrial action means we will be implementing further changes for residents." These include:
Suspension of recycling collections. We will only be collecting residual waste during this time. We encourage you to visit a local household recycling centre where possible
We will continue to collect neatly bundled side waste so this could include cardboard and newspapers. Make sure you place any excessive waste in black bags. Bin lids also need to be closed, to reduce the risk of damage to bins and vehicles, and an increase in waste spillage
Resources will be stretched and will be focused on our housing blocks and houses of multiple occupation. Assisted collections will continue
But a resident whose recycling was due to be collected yesterday told BirminghamLive he had not seen anything from the council telling households about the axed recycling pick-ups. He said: “It’s really poor to bury this important change in the middle of an existing document online and not tell people explicitly.
"This will case real problems for people whose recycling bins are already full and who cannot get to the tip to empty them. All this of course while our council tax goes up by 17.5 per cent in just two years."
Bin strikes were sparked by Birmingham City Council's decision to abolish the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) grade 3 role in the waste service. The role has been linked to multiple equal pay claims against the council from grade 3 workers in other services, and scrapping it is seen as vital in efforts to avoid future claims.
The council said removal of the role would "improve the quality of service delivery." The council previously affected workers had been offered alternative jobs, invited to retrain as drivers, or offered departure packages.
But the union said the role was "safety critical" and would result in pay cuts of up to £8,000 for 150 workers. Unite described the decision to escalate strikes on February 3 as a "line in the sand" for members.
Full list of Birmingham bin strike dates
The full list of strike dates in Birmingham, announced on February 3, are as follows:
February: 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 20, 25, 26 and 27
March: 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 21, 25, 26, 28 and 31
April: 2 and 4
Unite warned more industrial action would be scheduled if the dispute was not resolved.
Unite statement
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “There is no justification for such huge pay cuts to workers’ wages. Birmingham Council cannot just ignore this situation and hope that it will go away. It is a line in the sand for our members, who know more attacks will follow if they don’t fight back. Unite is with them 100 per cent.”
Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou said: “Unite’s door remains open to meaningful discussions with the council to resolving this dispute. It is the council that bears the responsibility for it escalating. Its behaviour towards its directly employed staff is vindictive and does nothing to solve the operational problems that are staring it in the face.”
Council statement
Birmingham City Council referred us to its latest statement on the strikes. A spokesperson previously said: “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 that 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 that 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.
“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 that are 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 that we deliver a consistent and reliable service that Birmingham residents deserve.”