Birmingham City Council

Birmingham council faces residents revolt as judge thwarts bid to immediately ban solidarity strikes

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/birmingham-council-faces-residents-revolt-judge-thwarts-bid-immediately-ban-solidarity

 A sticker supporting the strikes on a bin as agency refuse workers collect rubbish in the Saltley area of Birmingham, January 6, 2026

BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL faced a residents’ revolt in court today after a judge refused to immediately ban bin strike supporters from solidarity action.

The Labour-run local authority sought an injunction against “persons unknown” — a catch-all to include any and all protesters — after a series of disruptive demonstrations at the gates of its four bin depots at Birmingham High Court.

It comes after a series of “megapickets” organised by StrikeMap, backed by the Fire Brigades Union and rail union Aslef, twice shut down all collections.

Judge Mr Justice Pepperall announced he will reserve his written decision to a later date after residents stood up against the council in court.

They slammed the authority for seeking to quash protest instead of settling the dispute with Unite, now into its 14th month of strikes.

Retired teacher Stuart Richardson, the only person present in court who claimed to be one of the “persons unknown,” vowed to protest against this “utterly draconian police state measure” that the council is applying for.

He said that all of the several protests he had attended had been peaceful and cited a long tradition of protest and deliberate direct action that must be retained.

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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/birmingham-council-faces-residents-revolt-judge-thwarts-bid-immediately-ban-solidarity

Continue ReadingBirmingham council faces residents revolt as judge thwarts bid to immediately ban solidarity strikes

Unite says bin strike deal closer if council puts public promises in writing

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/unite-says-bin-strike-deal-closer-if-council-puts-public-promises-writing

Rubbish bags are taken away on Poplar Road in Birmingham, Aril 16, 2025

THE Unite union called out Birmingham City Council today over the ongoing bin strike negotiations, warning they would be much closer to a deal if the authority “put in writing what it is saying in public.”

More than 350 refuse workers have been on strike since March 11 over plans to cut the vital role of waste recycling collection officer (WRCO).

According to Unite, it will lead to 150 of its members having their pay slashed by up to £8,000 a year.

On Monday, workers rejected the council’s latest offer. Unite said the proposal still involved substantial pay cuts and failed to address other potential wage reductions for 200 drivers.

Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton said that the council made a “fair and reasonable offer that means that no-one has to lose any pay at all, with alternative roles offered within the service, or indeed a promotion to work as a driver.”

He tried again to reassure the public today, telling the BBC “we’re in a position where nobody needs to be losing income.”

But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said they appeared to be living in a “parallel universe.”

She said: “Yet again, John Cotton is saying one thing in public while his local officers are saying another in the negotiating room and in writing.

“If the council puts in writing what it says in public then we would likely be much closer to a deal.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/unite-says-bin-strike-deal-closer-if-council-puts-public-promises-writing

Continue ReadingUnite says bin strike deal closer if council puts public promises in writing