Birmingham Bin Strikes!

FOR weeks Birmingham has been enduring a series of rolling strikes by their bin men belonging to the UNITE union, who are accusing their Labour Council employing them of 'playing games', and being set on conflict rather than negotiation over proposed changes in working practices on the job.and the downgading of supervisors positions. 

The dispute is now in its fourth week has been extended from one and two-hour stoppages a day on June 30th, to three-hour stoppages last week and is now planned to continue until September.  

According to The Guardian:

'The UNITE union claims restructuring plans threaten the jobs of more than 120 staff and that workers on £21,000 a year could face a pay cut of up to £5,000. The Labour-run local authority argues that its plans to modernise the service would save £5m a year at a time when council budgets have been cut by central government.'

The UNITE union has said that redundancy notices were sent to staff, mainly the 133 leading hands, while talks are ongoing sparking fury among the members.

Howard Beckett, an assistant general secretary of UNITE, said if talks failed then industrial action, already planned to run up to the middle of September, would escalate, resulting in more waste going uncollected.
'I would also ask the Birmingham public to understand that strike action is a last resort for our members and places them in considerable financial hardship,” he said. “The reality is they have been left with no choice because of the regrade of their jobs and loss of income, which is simply unaffordable for our members.'

The dispute over changes to working practices and the downgrading of supervisor jobs has now entered its third week with no sign of a resolution in sight.
And the trade union Unite has accused the Labour run council of ‘playing games’ and being set on conflict rather than genuine negotiation. It says that redundancy notices were sent to staff, mainly the 133 leading hands, while talks are ongoing sparking fury among the members.
The extension of strike action means further misery for thousands of residents who have already seen overflowing wheelie bins left uncollected, or picked up days late, for weeks.