Birmingham bin strike staff to hold rally after deal rejected

Striking bin workers are to stage a rally a day after the Unite union members rejected the city council’s latest pay offer to end the industrial action.

More than 350 refuse collectors have been on an all-out strike since 11 March and this latest stand off with the Labour-run council, will lead to bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish continuing to pile up on streets.

On Monday workers voted to reject the council’s latest offer, which Unite said was “totally inadequate” and also did not address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.

The council has said the offer on the table is fair and includes options for affected workers.

The rally, due to take place at 10:30 BST outside the council house, will involve handing over a petition in support of the striking workers.

More negotiations between the two sides are scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

The dispute centres around the council’s decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles from some bin workers.

As the strike rumbles on, national government ministers have also voiced concerns over the situation in the UK’s second largest city.

“Our message, loud and clear, is that Unite need to call off the strike, accept the deal, and let’s get back to normal,” industry minister Sarah Jones told BBC Breakfast.

The union said its workers were striking in order to prevent pay cuts, not in a bid to get more money than they currently receive.

“Our members would like nothing better than to be able to call off the strike and get back to work,” Onay Kasab, Unite national lead officer, told BBC Breakfast.

“But as things stand, we still have people who are going to be facing huge pay cuts as a result of this.”