A dramatic move this week comes after six months of fraught negotiations between Unite the union and Birmingham City Council that have got nowhere
This week has produced a major development in six months of protracted negotiations in Birmingham’s rumbling bin strikes.
As we reported on Wednesday July 9, Birmingham City Council announced it was shutting down negotiations with the Unite union.
The council gave notice that disgruntled waste service staff are likely to have to go.
READ MORE: Birmingham bin truck drivers in firing line as union decries ‘daft’ council move
Now, Unite the union’s national lead officer has called for Birmingham’s council leader to quit his post over what they describe as the authority’s “abhorrent” and “shambolic” handling of the city’s bin strike.
Staff are now set to go, as Labour council leader John Cotton said on Wednesday that the council had made every attempt to negotiate a deal but it had not been possible.
Mr Cotton said on Wednesday that the council had “sought to be reasonable and flexible, but we have reached the absolute limit of what we can offer”.
The Labour-run council would communicate with staff and trade unions as to its next steps, with voluntary redundancy remaining on the table alongside opportunities for training and redeployment, Mr Cotton said.
However bin union leaders came out fighting on Thursday, declaring it was time for Labour leader Coun Cotton to ‘consider his position’.
Union bosses have also repeated claims that the council is resorting to ‘fire and rehire’ tactics.
The council hit back at those claims on Thursday afternoon, saying that it supports the government’s “tough” stance on fire and rehire tactics.
Unite’s Onay Kasab visited a picket line in Tyseley on Thursday to speak to dozens of the hundreds of workers who went on all-out strike four months ago over fears some could face pay cuts of up to £8,000.
Mr Kasab said: “The council’s announcement effectively means that they are looking at fire and rehire and that’s one of the most abhorrent of employment practices.
“We were told previously that under a Labour government that that would be outlawed.”
Mr Kasab went on to claim: “We have now got a Labour government that said it would be outlawed and a Labour council who are now looking at implementing fire and rehire to bully these workers for the council to get its way, which is about cutting people’s pay.
“That’s absolutely appalling.”
Mr Kasab said of Mr Cotton: “I think he really has to seriously consider his position.
“The way his council under his leadership has mishandled this dispute and with yesterday’s appalling announcement, as a Labour councillor he really needs to be considering his position.”
Responding to Mr Kasab’s comments, a spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said: “The Government have been very clear on fire and rehire, introducing some of the toughest restrictions in the world, and the council leader supports their stance.
“Unite rejected the council’s fair and reasonable offer and voluntary redundancy remains on the table, as do opportunities for training and redeployment across the council. We will be communicating with our staff and trade unions as to next steps.
“We absolutely have to have fair and equitable pay across the council, so that the council isn’t plunged into another equal pay crisis.”
BirminghamLive has put a full timeline together of the bin strikes, you can read every development, from January to July, in our report here.
We also analyse what this week’s developments mean for residents, and if they will see a difference in collections, in our report here.