'It’s shambolic' Birmingham braces for further disruption over bin strikes |
Bin workers in Birmingham began a 12-day strike this week with residents warned to expect "considerable disruption" across the city. Birmingham Live readers have been expressing their frustration with the situation in our comments section.
The industrial action was called after crunch talks over pay between Unite, the union representing refuse workers, and Birmingham City Council broke down. The strikes will run on selected days from January to April.
According to Unite, the council has "refused to reverse or delay the implementation of attacks on workers’ pay" and has decided to abolish the safety-critical Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role, which many affected workers have held for decades. The union describes the WRCO roles as "safety critical."
A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said: "We are disappointed that this action is taking place, but we are continuing to work through the dispute resolution procedure. We would like to assure residents that we will do all we can to minimise disruption during any........