BirminghamLive quiz Unite general secretary Sharon Graham at city centre rally as crippling bin dispute continues
Unite’s leader has insisted the government must intervene to strike a deal so bin workers can “get back to work” after nine months of industrial action so far in the second city.
Birmingham bin crews began intermittent strike action in January, with an all-out strike starting in March 2025.
They voted this month to extend the mandate for strike action to March 2026.
Hundreds of bin workers, their supporters and unions marched through Birmingham to Victoria Square today, September 20, protesting the ongoing dispute with the city council.
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In an interview with BirminghamLive at the rally, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham insisted that striking workers had not lost any leverage with the strike as a result of agency workers being called in.
She urged the government to step in and end bitter nine-month bin action as negotians between the union and council have stopped.
Formal redundancy consultation remains under way with around 170 bin truck driver leaders affected by plans to downgrade their role. Some have accepted voluntary redundancy or moved roles.
Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton most recently said that ‘extensive negotiations’ had broken down because Unite had ‘unfortunately’ rejected offers.
The council boss added that presented proposals were not acceptable to the council ‘given the absolute priority to protect our financial situation and not to further imperil our situation with regard to equal pay’, with the could having to pay out millions so far in pay claims in other departments.
‘Back the strike’ calls at the Birmingham bin workers protest
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham
Feeling among striking workers
Sharon Graham: “Workers are feeling buoyant because they are feeling together and collected in what we are trying to do here.
“This is about workers. Some of these people have been drivers for 20 years, woke up one morning and were told they had to take an £8,000 pay cut, that is a quarter of some of theses drivers’ pay.”
The union boss also called on the government to “make sure the deal is done.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham at the march to Birmingham City Council house on September 20(Image: Naomi de Souza / BirminghamLive)
On Unite returning to the table
Sharon Graham: “With negotiations with the council, it is difficult to see how that continues. I came into the negotiations after five months of absolutely no movement.”
Of previous negotiations, she claimed: “The council’s managing director Joanne Roney came into the room, we thrashed out a deal at ACAS, she was going away to bring that deal back and messages me to say that government commissioners wouldn’t allow it to go through.”
Q – Could [former Birmingham lead commissioner] Max Caller’s retirement pave the way for a new deal?
“The government need to pull up their sleeves, get in, be curious, not just listen to what the leader of the council is saying,” Sharon said.
She claimed: “John Cotton previously said nobody had to lose any money, I knew that wasn’t true, I had seen what was happening to these workers.
“Latterly, he admitted that wasn’t true. The government needs to get in there and find out what’s happening because these workers need that deal on the table so they can vote on it and get back to work.”
A BBC exclusive in June reported that the leader of Birmingham City Council had “admitted for the first time some refuse workers will lose money under plans to reform the service.”
Hundreds at the Birmingham bin strike protest
Q- Have Unite lost leverage with agency workers keeping the streets clean?
“You should ask the residents,” Sharon said.. “It’s not a coincidence that only five percent of Birmingham residents have said they are going to vote Labour in the local elections.
“There are black bin bags in corners, rubbish stinking, there has been no recycling for months, it’s hardly a normal operation. It’s costing millions of pounds so there’s no best value to residents.”
Q – We’re coming up to Christmas collections, you voted to extend into March 2026, can a deal be done?
“Absolutely, the deal is there to be done,” Sharon said.
“We were in ACAS and the ballpark deal was on the table, what they need to do is put that deal on the table, so we can put it back to the workers, that deal was done in June of this year,” she claimed.
She also urged Birmingham City Council to involve the government to get a deal sorted.
She added: “I think residents have been hugely patient with the council, I think they are sick to the back teeth.”
Q – The council has always maintained that if they give bin workers the deal, it would open the door to more equal pay claims. What is your response?
“My response is it must be absolute toffee,” Sharon said.
She claimed: “If the council’s managing director puts a ball-park deal down on the table and later says she can’t put the deal there, she must have thought this deal was ok to put down.”
She emphasised the deal that was carved out in the summer should be put back to members.
Birmingham City Council previously told us that focussing on who was in the room was a “total red herring.”
Birmingham City Council latest
Confirming its current position, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “While we are disappointed the dispute has not been resolved as Unite has rejected all our offers, we are continuing to make regular waste collections as we prepare to implement the new and improved service.
“This is a service that has not been good enough for too long so it needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve – we cannot delay this any longer.
“Although the industrial action continues, our contingency plan is working and we are collecting household waste as scheduled.
“Our new fleet of vehicles is now fully operational and making collections across the city. They are equipped with modern safety features, including 360-degree camera systems to boost visibility and protect both crews and the public.
“By moving to a fully owned, modern fleet, the council has reduced its reliance on hired vehicles, improved reliability and consistency in household waste and recycling collections.
“As well as giving our crews the tools they need to deliver a more reliable, efficient service the new fleet supports the city’s environmental goals.
“We have been collecting an average of approximately 1,330 tonnes of kerbside waste every day, more than we did prior to industrial action, and over the last six months we have collected over 100,000 tonnes of kerbside waste.
“There has been a 22 per cent increase in tonnage of waste collected per employee and a 52 per cent improvement regarding missed collections.
“We want to see this dispute end; we understand residents’ frustration and appreciate their patience over the last few months.”
