Agency staff covering for Birmingham bin strikers vote for strike of their own

Following workers’ “overwhelming” vote to extend their industrial action, the Unite union has warned that ongoing bin strikes in Birmingham could continue after local elections next May.

The dispute is expected to escalate further as agency staff employed by Job & Talent under a rubbish contract join directly employed Birmingham City Council staff on official picket lines from 1 December.

Unite claimed a growing number of agency staff were refusing to cross the picket line of striking bin workers over their “unsustainable” workload.

The development, announced by Unite on Monday, signals widening industrial action.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a real escalation of the dispute over agency workers now joining the picket lines because of their poor treatment by Job & Talent and Birmingham Council.

“Birmingham Council is spending a fortune on a dispute it doesn’t have that could easily be resolved by reaching a fair deal for workers.

“Unite does what it says in its union bulletin; we are fully committed to fighting for the jobs, wages and conditions of all its members.

“Both agents and directly employed workers working on Birmingham Council’s refuse service have the full and absolute support of the union.”

Hundreds of Unite members in Birmingham have been on strike since March over pay and employment disputes.