Birmingham bin strike: Major update after latest negotiations

Unite the Union has agreed to mediation talks with conciliation service Acas with hopes it will bring the Birmingham bin strike to an end.

Acas helps disputing parties to reach a mutually agreeable resolution without resorting to formal legal proceedings.

Negotiations between Unite and the city council to end the bin strike today were unsuccessful. But the union says they could now be within ‘touching distance of a deal’ after agreeing to talks with Acas.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “We could be in touching distance of a deal but Birmingham City Council is again guilty of saying one thing in public and another in the negotiations.

“This flip flopping needs to be sorted prior to the Acas negotiations next week, so the dispute can be resolved and end the uncertainty for workers and the misery for Birmingham residents.

Talks with Acas will begin on 1 and 2 May.

The council declared a major incident in the city following the all out strike which began last month.

Bin crews, who say a change of job roles will leave them up to £8,000-a-year worse off, have been striking since March 11 and say they will continue until September.

Meanwhile, rubbish continues to pile up in neighbourhoods like Sparkhill and Aston, where residents say the council’s “real progress” in clearing backlogs is nowhere to be seen. Community volunteers have stepped in to do the job themselves—removing waste ahead of events and helping elderly neighbours deal with infestations.