Mountains of uncollected rubbish have become a familiar—and unwelcome—sight on the streets of Birmingham, as the city’s bin strike enters its ninth month with no sign of resolution. What began as a dispute over pay and job roles has snowballed into a major crisis, now drawing in both permanent and agency workers, and leaving residents grappling with public health concerns and mounting frustration.
The saga began in early January 2025, when Birmingham City Council’s decision to remove the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles triggered outrage among refuse workers. According to BBC News, the union Unite claimed that about 170 workers stood to lose up to £8,000 a year as a result, though the council disputed those figures, saying only 17 employees would lose the maximum amount—just over £6,000—and that they’d receive pay protection for six months. The council insisted the restructuring was necessary to comply with equal pay laws and to improve services in line with the Environmental Act 2021.
Initial strike action began on January 6, with 12 walkouts planned across four months. But as talks between Unite and the council faltered, the dispute escalated dramatically. On March 11, workers launched an indefinite, all-out strike, and by the end of March, the city council declared a major incident. According to the Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme, such a declaration is reserved for events requiring special arrangements by emergency responders. The council responded by deploying an extra 35 vehicles and crews to tackle the growing mounds of rubbish and mitigate health and fire risks.
Negotiations, mediated by the conciliation service Acas since May, quickly broke down. On April 14, a ballot revealed that 97% of Unite members who voted had rejected the council’s latest offer. Council leader John Cotton announced that the authority was "walking away" from talks, stating, “We have reached the absolute limit of what we can offer.” The council maintained that all affected staff were offered alternative employment at the same pay, and nearly three-quarters had accepted or opted for voluntary redundancy. But Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, accused the council of engaging in a "fire and rehire" strategy, claiming workers were told to accept lower terms or face redundancy. She insisted, “Unite does what it says on the trade union tin; we are totally committed to fighting for the jobs, pay and conditions of all members.”
The deadlock deepened in September when Unite members voted to extend the strike until March 2026. Onay Kasab, the union’s national lead officer, declared that action would continue “as long as necessary” until a “fair and reasonable deal” was reached. Meanwhile, the council pressed ahead with its restructuring, determined to address what it called “long overdue” service improvements and equal pay risks.
But the dispute took a new turn in November. Agency refuse workers, brought in to cover for the striking staff, voted to take industrial action themselves, citing bullying, harassment, and unsustainable workloads. As reported by Sky News, footage emerged showing a manager from Job&Talent, the recruitment agency supplying the workers, warning staff that joining the strike could result in blacklisting by the council. In the video, the manager said, “Those people that do decide to join the picket line, then the council have confirmed to us that they are not going to get a permanent job.”
Unite seized on the incident as evidence of a toxic workplace culture. Sharon Graham described it as “a real escalation in the dispute with agency workers now joining picket lines due to the terrible way they have been treated by Job&Talent and Birmingham council.” The union claimed a growing number of agency staff were refusing to cross the picket lines, with 18 out of 22 agency members voting to join the official strike from December 1. Unite’s Onay Kasab added, “Residents of Birmingham will be rightly concerned to see that the misery of bin strikes can continue through Christmas, New Year and beyond May’s local elections but the council is solely responsible for the ongoing dispute.”
Birmingham City Council denied all allegations of bullying and blacklisting, stating it “does not condone any actions which are contrary to legislation and good employment practice.” After investigating the video, the council concluded that no blacklisting had taken place. Job&Talent echoed this position, stating, “We do not engage in or condone any form of blacklisting, and no worker is or would be denied employment opportunities on the basis of lawful participation in industrial action.” The agency added that it remained “firmly committed to operating with transparency, integrity, and full compliance with employment laws.”
Despite the turmoil, the council has attempted to maintain essential services. A spokesperson told BBC News that contingency plans were working, with the city collecting an average of 1,330 tonnes of kerbside waste daily—more than prior to the industrial action. Over the last six months, more than 100,000 tonnes of waste have been collected, with a 22% increase in tonnage per employee and a 52% improvement in missed collections. Still, many residents have reported overflowing bins, streets strewn with rubbish, and long queues at mobile waste collection points.
For those desperate to dispose of their waste, the city has five Household Recycling Centres, most requiring pre-booked slots and proof of address. There are also two Mobile Household Waste Centres (MHWCs) that visit neighborhoods in the mornings, accepting general household and bulky waste—though not building materials or hazardous items. Recycling collections, however, remain suspended, and residents are advised to keep their recyclables until further notice. Those who have paid for a 2025 garden waste subscription will be refunded automatically, but the council has been clear: “It is a legal responsibility to pay council tax and we urge people to continue doing this.”
Some residents, having spent thousands hiring skips, have called for council tax rebates. But as Tony Travers, a local government expert from the London School of Economics, explained, “It’s not lawful for people to withhold payments to the council for council tax. They are required by law to pay.” Refuse collection, he pointed out, is just one of many services provided by the city.
With no formal negotiations since May and both permanent and agency workers now on strike, the outlook remains bleak. The union and council are entrenched, each blaming the other for the ongoing crisis. For now, Birmingham’s residents are left to navigate the mounting piles of rubbish—and the uncertainty of when, or if, a resolution will be found.
