'Accept reality' - Birmingham bin strikes rumble on as council doubles down by urging union to 'face facts'

Birmingham City Council’s leader has doubled down on his position in the bins strike dispute and urged the Unite union to “accept reality”.

The strike, which left thousands of tonnes of rubbish blighting the city’s streets, was triggered by a disagreement between the council and union over plans to scrap the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO).

Unite argues that this move will force “dedicated workers onto pay levels barely above the minimum wage”.

But the council’s political leadership has previously insisted a “fair and reasonable offer” has been made and “not a single worker needs to lose a penny”.

Council leader John Cotton also recently argued that restoring the role would be a ‘red line that cannot be crossed’ and could potentially lead to further equal pay challenges.

After the two parties failed to reach a resolution this week despite talks, Coun Cotton released a new statement today urging Unite to accept “that the WRCO role cannot be brought back”.

Read more: Watch: The full timeline of the 2025 Birmingham bin strike

“Our door remains open for further talks,” he said on Thursday, April 17. “However, to make progress Unite must accept reality.

“We will not be able to make progress until Unite accepts that the WRCO role cannot be brought back and that the council cannot and will not entertain anything that would re-open an equal pay liability.

“That wouldn’t be fair for residents or workers and is a red line for Birmingham City Council.”

He continued: “We are open to good faith negotiations on the basis of the fair and reasonable offer on the table.

“In the meantime, we are making good progress in clearing up the backlog of waste.”

On the recent clean-up of the city, Coun Cotton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week: “[Declaring a major incident] enables us to take the necessary, robust steps to clear that waste.

“I think we’ve made real progress – 20,000 tonnes of waste now off the streets.

“We’re getting back to a position where we’ll be able to ensure people get their bins emptied on the day they normally expect them to be.”

A number of measures have been taken by the council as the bins strike continues to rumble on, including the extension of opening hours at the city’s tips.

Meanwhile the council’s pest control charge for rats, previously dubbed a ‘rat tax’ by critics, has recently been made temporarily free.

The service was free in previous years but controversially rose to £24 and then £26.40 during the past year and a half.