Birmingham’s bins strike update slammed as ‘desperate’

The actions of the Labour administration at Birmingham City Council have been slammed as “desperate” and “pathetic” following a bins strike update.

The Birmingham bin strike dispute is now in its second year following months of disruption to waste collection services and unwanted headlines about the city.

Councillor John Cotton, leader of Labour-run Birmingham Council, announced today however an end to the strike was “within sight” and the local authority was close to settling its dispute with Unite after reaching an agreement.

In particular, he said he believed a “new improved offer can be made and terms can be put in place” that address previous issues discussed at ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service).

But he made clear in his statement the pre-election period prevents the council from making a final decision prior to May 7 – the day of the local elections.

Coun Cotton went on to say that a “re-elected Labour administration under my leadership will work to get this deal approved as a matter of absolute priority”.

This update has been met with scepticism and anger from opposition councillors however, with the council’s Tory group leader describing it as a “pathetic attempt to use taxpayers’ money to hold on to power before [Labour] disappear into the abyss”.

“Labour have allowed rats and rubbish to thrive across Birmingham,” Coun Robert Alden said.

“Yet now they want residents to believe that they have a deal ten days before an election that is set to see them booted out.

“The truth is, Labour are committing to yet another equal pay bill and running off to leave everyone else to pay for it.”

Green Party councillor Julien Pritchard also questioned the timing of today’s announcement.

“Over a year of rubbish piling up in our streets, now a week before the election the Labour leader announces a deal to end the strike,” he said.

“After he and the Labour-run Council have refused to negotiate for 10 months, this is an utterly cynical and desperate attempt to save Labour’s electoral skin.

“Why wasn’t this done 10 months ago?

“Brummies are rightly fed up with the political games from Labour – suddenly ‘finding’ a solution just days away from a local election is the self-interested politics that our communities are so fed up with.”

“Nobody in this city really believes Labour is the answer to Labour’s own problems,” he added.

In his statement, council leader John Cotton acknowledged that reaching an agreement had been a “challenging and complex process”.

“But after months of hard work, on the principles and parameters of a deal, I believe a new improved offer can be made and terms can be put in place that address the ‘ballpark issues’ discussed at ACAS that Unite members can agree in order to end the strike once and for all,” he said.

He also said the deal would be good for the workforce, represent good value for money and not risk creating new structural equal pay liabilities.

“I want our workforce to be able to return to work and help us deliver the quality refuse and recycling services the people of this city deserve,” he continued.

“That’s why throughout this dispute I have resisted those who would dismiss the striking workers instead of negotiating.”

He continued: “I have instructed officers to move forward with negotiations so that we can bring this matter to a close.

“Whilst the pre-election period prevents the council from making a final decision prior to 7 May, a re-elected Labour administration under my leadership will work to get this deal approved as a matter of absolute priority.

“The council can then move forward and offer the people of Birmingham the services that they deserve.

“I also want to re-emphasise my absolute determination to see through the agreement reached with the council’s unions last year that will deliver the pay justice that thousands of women workers were denied under previous leaderships.

“I would like to thank the people of Birmingham for their patience during this challenging time.”

Unite said today that this latest development was “vindication of the bin workers’ struggle for a decent deal”.

But the union also made it apparent that the situation has not been fully resolved just yet and said there will now be a series of meetings to complete the offer.

“If it is reneged on in anyway, then the union will escalate the dispute,” it warned.