BIRMINGHAM, England — Some 400 refuse workers, members of Unite the Union, are on strike here at three City Council-run depots.
Pickets walk slowly in front of refuse trucks as they leave the depots, slowing down the bosses’ strikebreaking efforts.
The immediate issue in the strike is the bosses’ moves to get rid of a category of refuse loaders who play a safety-critical role. “We were declared ‘key workers’ during the pandemic — now we’re expendable,” pickets told the Militant.
“Some have been sent for retraining, but the 17 most affected will lose 8,000 pounds a year [$10,400]. Others will lose 6,000 pounds,” said union convener Matt Reid. Overall, the strikers’ pay had already fallen due to lower hours and inflation. “What’s at stake is the future of the union.”
The Birmingham City Council declared bankruptcy in 2023. The U.K. government sent in commissioners to oversee all council decisions, who then cut funds for social care, education, libraries and housing. This year the local council tax is being increased by 7.5%.
“We’re getting support from people who bring their own refuse to the depot. Many bring food and donations,” said Danny Taylor, a shop steward at the Lifford Lane depot. They’ve also gotten support from refuse collectors in Coventry. “If we back down they’ll do what they want not just to us but other council workers.”
The bulk of those crossing the picket line work for temporary agencies, Reid said. “The council has also deployed a huge police operation to force a way for the trucks to pass through the pickets.
“But they’re in a struggle against workers who have been round the block, with years of union membership and strike victories in 2017 and 2018 under our belts.”