On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the streets of Birmingham pulsed with chants, banners, and the determined footsteps of thousands rallying in support of striking bin workers. The march, which began at the Unite union offices on Jennens Road and wound its way to the council house in Victoria Square, brought together trade unionists from across the UK, local community groups like Birmingham Rise Up and End the Bin Strikes, and a spirited crowd of residents frustrated by months of disrupted rubbish collections.
The demonstration, organized by Unite and headlined by its general secretary Sharon Graham, marked a pivotal moment in a bitter industrial dispute that has gripped Birmingham since January. The dispute, which centers on pay cuts and job downgrades for refuse workers, has seen on-and-off industrial action since the start of the year, escalating into an all-out strike from March 11, 2025. Just this month, Unite members "overwhelmingly" voted to extend their industrial action until March 2026—a decision that means no end in sight for uncollected bins and mounting rubbish on city streets, especially over the looming Christmas period.
According to reporting by BBC, the dispute erupted after Birmingham City Council announced plans to remove the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer roles, a move Unite claims would slash the pay of Grade 4 drivers by up to £8,000. The council insists the staffing changes are essential to reform and improve the waste service, but workers see it as a direct attack on their livelihoods. Ronnie Mills, a bin worker from Castle Bromwich, captured the mood of many on the picket line: "I thought I'd be earning more money, and then the strikes have affected us because they've knocked us down. A lot of people are not happy with the £8,000 pay cuts, because it's basic wages really. It's not fair to cut people's wages the way they have. That's why we're all here."
For many in the crowd, the protest was about more than just pay packets. Songs from the old miners' strikes rang out—"I'd rather be a picket than a scab"—and union members, some wearing "Where's Cotton?" T-shirts in reference to council leader John Cotton, spoke of solidarity and standing up to what they see as underhand tactics. One worker told Birmingham Mail, "We’re hard working people and we’re under attack... What do we do? We fight back." Slogans like "dump the cuts" and "Victory to the bin workers" echoed through the city center, while banners from the Socialist Party and regional branches of Unite added further color and resolve to the demonstration.
The strike’s impact has been dramatic and visible. In the first weeks of the all-out action, up to 17,000 tonnes of waste piled up on Birmingham’s streets, prompting the council to declare a major incident as rubbish collection ground to a halt. The city has since scrambled to maintain partial refuse collections, calling in help from neighboring authorities and deploying vehicles from other parts of its operations. Still, mounds of recycling and general waste remain uncollected in many neighborhoods, fueling frustration among residents and raising concerns about public health and the city’s image.
Behind the scenes, the dispute has become a war of attrition. Negotiations between Unite and Birmingham City Council have been off the table for weeks, with no talks planned and both sides dug in. The council, for its part, defends its job evaluation process as "fair and transparent," stating that affected workers have been offered alternative roles, voluntary redundancy, or six months of pay protection. A spokesperson told BBC, "We want to see this dispute end; we understand residents' frustration and appreciate their patience over the last few months." The council also claims to be preparing "a new and improved service" with a fully operational fleet of vehicles, but has not budged on the core issue of pay cuts.
Unite, meanwhile, has been unrelenting in its criticism—not just of the council, but of the Labour Party and the national government. The union accuses the council of trampling on workers’ rights and being dictated to by government-appointed commissioners. Sharon Graham, in a pointed rebuke, told Press Association, "If Labour cannot see what is happening in Birmingham is wrong, it is little wonder workers are turning away from them in droves." She added, "Strikes will continue with Unite's full support until a fair deal is reached for these workers." The union’s stance is clear: there will be no end to the industrial action until what it considers a fair pay deal is secured.
The political ramifications are not lost on anyone. Unite’s criticism of the Labour-led council has added to growing national debates about workers’ rights, austerity, and the role of local authorities in managing public services during financial crises. The council, facing its own budget pressures, argues that reform is necessary to keep the service afloat. Yet, for many workers and their supporters, the dispute has become a symbol of broader struggles over job security and fair pay in a changing economy.
Community groups and other unions have rallied to the bin workers’ cause, seeing their fight as part of a larger battle against so-called "fire and rehire" practices—where workers are dismissed and rehired on less favorable terms. The solidarity on display in Birmingham was palpable, with supporters from as far afield as Scotland and London joining the march. Placards reading "Socialist party solidarity with the unite bin workers in Birmingham" and chants of "Starmer Starmer tax the billionaires" showed the extent to which the strike has tapped into wider frustrations with inequality and political leadership.
As the march ended outside the council house, the mood was both defiant and weary. Many workers expressed a desire to return to their jobs, but not at the cost of a "drop-down wage." Sharon Graham, addressing the crowd, said, "Workers are feeling buoyant because they are feeling very, very, together. This is about workers, some of these have been drivers for 20 years." The sense of togetherness was unmistakable, but so too was the uncertainty about what comes next.
With no negotiations scheduled and both sides refusing to blink, Birmingham faces the prospect of many more months of disrupted waste collections, political wrangling, and public frustration. For now, the city’s bin workers remain on the picket line—determined, united, and unwilling to back down until they believe justice has been done.
