Birmingham bin strikes: Unite Union sent ‘clear message’ by Labour minister after rejecting deal
Birmingham workers of the Unite Union have been ordered to “end their strike immediately” after rejecting the city council’s deal.
Striking refuse workers have “overwhelmingly rejected” a partial deal offered by the Labour-run authority as the month-long strike continues to leave thousands of tonnes of rubbish piling up on streets.
Unite the Union members voted against the offer despite pressure from senior government figures to accept what Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner had called a “significantly improved” proposal.
The all-out strike, which began on March 11, shows no sign of ending as the union claims the deal is “totally inadequate” and would still result in substantial pay cuts for workers.
Sarah Jones called on Unite Union workers to end their dispute and accept Birmingham Council’s deal
GB News
Speaking to GB News about the rejection, Minister of State for Industry Sarah Jones fumed: “People have enough problems that they have to deal with without having to worry about where their bins are being collected, so this needs to end.”
Jones delivered a clear message to Unite: “Call off the strike. Accept the deal that’s on the table, it’s a good deal – and that’s what we ultimately believe needs to happen now.”
She described the situation as “unacceptable” and emphasised the impact on residents.
“It’s awful and the strike needs to be suspended and they need to come to a deal,” Jones said.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Unite Union rejected the council’s ‘partial’ deal, claiming it is ‘inadequate’
PA
The minister acknowledged the importance of working with trade unions, noting her positive experiences with Unite on steel industry matters.
She explained: “Now, of course, we work with trade unions all the time. I’ve been working with Unite and GMB and Community Union on Steel, and they’ve been absolutely brilliant in Scunthorpe, making sure we keep the show on the road, so very important relationships.”
However, she stressed that in this case, the Government’s position was firm on ending the industrial action.
The Government has deployed Army logistics personnel to help tackle the mounting rubbish crisis in Birmingham.
Jones confirmed the military assistance, saying: “We have sent some Army logistics people in to help with the navigation of this issue.”
Jones told GB News that their rejection of the deal is ‘unacceptable’
GB News
Unite claims the deal will lead to around 150 members losing up to £8,000 a year in pay, while the council insists only 17 workers will be affected with smaller reductions.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham emphasised: “This dispute is not about greed, or increased pay. This dispute is about workers losing up to £8,000 of their pay – which for some is almost a quarter.”
The union acknowledged that after weeks of negotiations, a “partial deal on pay protection for a few” had been reached.
Officials maintain that the ultimate solution remains for Unite to accept the council’s offer and end the strike.