Mounds of filthy bin bags which are trawling with maggots and rodents could remain on Birmingham’s litter-strewn streets until March with no end to industrial action in sight.
Refuse workers from trade union Unite began their strike on March 11 this year in a move which has seen rotting waste pile up on pavements and roads for nearly six months.
It appeared earlier this week that things were improving as mountains of black rubbish bags were been cleared from some areas of the West Midlands city after concerns over public health risks.
But it transpired that the council had drafted in more agency staff to help clean up some of the mess after Unite voted to extend their industrial action beyond Christmas and into next Spring.
Now, as a series of shocking new images lay bare the scale of the waste, business owners and locals have told how fly-tipping has become ‘out of control’ and has left them feeling like they are living in the ‘Third World’.
Sal Watts, 34, a musician from Moseley, Birmingham, said it was an ‘absolute scandal that this hasn’t been resolved yet’.
He continued: ‘If it happened in London, they would have sorted it within days. This is the longest-running strike I can ever recall and it has left us living in Third World conditions.
‘I’m ashamed to have friends and family who don’t live here come and visit me, because it is just an embarrassment.
Rubbish in the Small Heath area in Birmingham on September 4, 2025, shows bin bags spread across the street as well as cans, plastic bottles and cardboard
Birmingham’s street have been covered in litter since the strikes began in March this year
Public bins on the streets are overflowing as fly-tipping spirals out of control across the city
‘The fly-tipping is out of control too, the place has become lawless and the council cannot cope.’
Liam Burgess, 41, of Hockley, added: ‘The recycling hasn’t been collected for months now but you feel guilty just dumping it among general waste.
‘I’ve had maggots in my bins, that is how grim it has become.’
Dave Hughes owns a steel business in Saltley and said the problem of fly-tipping had become such a ‘nightmare’ that he had begun clearing some himself.
He said: ‘It’s just been relentless. Since the Birmingham Wheels site closed down and was sold to Birmingham City FC, you’ve got a secluded road on an industrial estate that people just use to dump rubbish with little to no consequences.
‘I’ve had to move huge piles on the forklift just to gain access to and from my business – but the council do nothing about it to help.
‘My driver was abused when he caught some lads in the act, they basically told him to jog on unless he knew what was good for him, they just don’t care.’
He claimed businesses were being neglected, saying: ‘If the council are charging hundreds of pounds to receive a commercial waste vehicle you can understand why people are just going to keep doing this.
A man was seen urinating amongst the litter outside FH Warden in Saltley on September 4, 2025
Damp cardboard and ripped binbags are spread across the ground in Birmingham
Heaps of uncollected rubbish were seen in in Longmore House, Moseley, on September 4
Residents have revealed how the issue of fly-tipping is becoming ‘out of control’ in the city
Plastic bags, empty drink cans, food boxes and equipment packaging have been dumped
Piles of rubbish are dominating the streets across the city with locals saying they feel like they are living in the ‘Third World’
‘I guess they are struggling with this problem all over the city now with the strikes going on.
‘They are just playing whack-a-mole – once they clamp down on fly-tipping in one place, they will just move to the next.
‘The problem is, that doesn’t seem to be happening here and its my business which suffers as a result.’
Paulette Hamilton, Labour MP for Erdington, told the BBC she was ‘greatly concerned’ about fly tipping across Birmingham.
She added: ‘It’s unsightly because people are dumping rubbish on top of rubbish even though it’s illegal, and the council are trying to move it as quickly as they can but sometimes just not quickly enough.’
Unite said the strikes have continued after claiming the government appointed commissioners in Birmingham scuppered a deal that would have ended the dispute.
A spokesman for the union said: ‘Talks brokered by the conciliation service ACAS in May and led by the council’s chief executive Joanne Roney agreed a “ball park” deal which would have ended the dispute.
‘However, Ms Roney latterly advised that she could not get the deal past the commissioners, so it is clear therefore that there is no point at this stage having further negotiations with the council. The ball is in the government’s court.’
For sale signs have been erected outside properties where mounds of litter have piled up
What appear to be worn-out dining chairs have been dumped near bags of litter in Small Heath
Cars in Saltley are having to avoid piles of fly-tipped waste which are spread across the streets
Bags dumped near public bins have begun to rip with waste now spreading across the streets
Cyclists are having near-misses with the heaps of litter which are spreading across footpaths and cycle lanes
Residents are facing another six months of litter-strewn streets as there appears to be no end to industrial action in sight
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham added: ‘Throughout this dispute the government has denied any involvement. It is now clear that commissioners reporting to Angela Rayner blocked a ball park deal thrashed out at ACAS.
‘The recent amendment by the government to the Employment Rights Bill, that allows councils in debt to fire and rehire their workers shows what is really going on here.
‘Council workers are being lined up to pay the price for years of austerity. There is no point at this stage negotiating further with the council as they do not have authority to resolve the dispute.
‘If Labour cannot see what is happening in Birmingham is wrong, it is little wonder workers are turning away from them in droves.’
The union said Birmingham’s bin workers voted 99.5 per cent in favour of strike action with a turnout of 72 per cent.
The workers began intermittent strike action in January and indefinite strike action in March.
The row between the union and the council was triggered by the scrapping of the waste recycling and collection officer role, created after refuse workers took industrial action in 2017 over pay.
The new position, which was a sweetener in the negotiations to end the walkout, came with higher salary and increased levels of responsibility.
A ‘no fly tipping’ sign is seen on a fence in Saltley, where mounds of litter have been spotted
A closer look at the bags of rubbish reveals empty bottles, packaging and tubs of butter
A toilet has been dumped outside in Saltley next to a box formerly containing a 32 inch TV
Bags of rubbish are piling on top of each other in Small Heath as the strikes continue in the city
But the Labour council rowed back on the job, saying it needed to be axed in an effort to balance its books.
It came after a landmark legal ruling on equal pay, which left the authority with a staggering £760million bill for paying traditionally female roles less.
In 2023, the council declared bankruptcy as officials desperately scrambled to try and overcome its vast financial blackhole.
However, the move to axe the role sparked outrage, with Unite saying it would lead to an £8,000-a-year pay cut for about 150 workers.
Birmingham disputed the figures. It insisted the number of staff could have seen their salaries cut was 17, with these workers potentially losing a maximum of £6,000.
The council said the affected staff had been offered the chance to move to an alternative role at the current grade, to train as drivers or to take voluntary redundancy. Employees also had the option to work as loaders with pay protection.
But the union then claimed the council’s plan to downgrade refuse lorry driver roles would see some drivers having their salaries slashed by £400 a month.
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: ‘Strike action will continue for as long as necessary with Unite’s unyielding support.
A woman is seen walking past heaps of lutter which have been dumped at the side of a street
Bulging bags of litter have been dumped, with residents saying they have seen maggots trawling through them
The size of the pavement has been greatly reduced across much of Birmingham with bin bags spread across
A man is seen walking by the mounds of litter in Birmingham on September 4, 2025
‘Politicians’ treatment of these workers, including lies about no one losing pay and broken promises about being able to retrain in driving roles that are now nowhere to be seen, is amongst the worst Unite has even seen.
‘The only way this dispute will end is with a fair and reasonable deal for Birmingham’s bin workers.’
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson added: ‘This is a service that needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve and we cannot delay this any longer.
‘The council sought to be reasonable and flexible throughout this process, but Unite rejected all our offers. We want to resolve this dispute but we need to press ahead with the improvement of the service.
‘Our contingency plan is working and we are collecting household waste as scheduled, though for clarity this ballot was not about any new negotiations or offers, but is part of Unite’s practice of refreshing their mandates for industrial action at regular periods during a dispute.’
Councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said the council was ‘determined’ to find and prosecute the culprits behind the fly-tipping in Saltley.
He added: ‘Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and a serious criminal offence. We will not tolerate individuals who think they can profit by dumping waste illegally and leaving the clean-up costs to taxpayers.
‘Since January this year, we have served 347 Fixed Penalty Notices for fly tipping incidents. Fines are of £1,000 for abandoning waste, and we will report incidents to the courts to consider an increased fine when necessary.
‘In addition we have seized 15 vehicles in the same period. We are committed to protecting our neighbourhoods and the environment.
‘Illegal dumping not only scars our streets and green spaces, but it also poses health risks and undermines the hard work of residents who take pride in their communities.’
Bulky waste collections are currently suspended and residents are encouraged to take their items to the tip or mobile recycling centres.
