Major incident in Birmingham as '17,000 tonnes' of rubbish piles up

A major incident has been declared in Birmingham over an ongoing bin strike, which has left around 17,000 tonnes of waste on the streets of the city.

Birmingham City Council said the "regrettable" step was taken in response to public health concerns, with picket lines blocking depots and preventing waste vehicles from collecting rubbish.

Members of Unite have been on all-out strike since 11 March in a row over pay, which the union claims will leave some members of staff £8,000 worse off. A series of walkouts have also impacted refuse collections since January.

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By declaring a major incident, the council will be able to increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tip removal with an additional 35 vehicles and crews around the city.

This action will also allow the council to explore what further support is available from neighbouring authorities and the government to assist in the management of the situation.

Council leader John Cotton said it was a "regrettable" step, but the situation was "causing harm and distress" to local people.

"I respect the right to strike and protest, however actions on the picket line must be lawful and sadly the behaviour of some now means we are seeing a significant impact on residents and the city's environment," he said.

Jim McMahon, the minister for local government, said the all-out strike by Unite members is causing "misery and disruption" to residents, as well as posing a "public health risk to the city's most vulnerable and deprived".

He said the government "stands ready" to respond to any request for extra resources, but insisted that any deal to end the bin strike must "maintain value for money".

Mr McMahon told the Commons: "This is causing a public health risk to the city's most vulnerable and deprived residents. As a result, I am aware that Birmingham has today declared a major incident to give them the mechanisms to better manage the impact on local residents.

"I support that decision, and I will back local leaders."

The minister added that the government will "not hesitate to give support in any way that Birmingham leaders need".

He said: "If local leaders on the ground in Birmingham feel that tackling these issues goes beyond the resources available to them and they request national support, then of course we stand ready to respond to any such request."

Members of the Unite union met with Birmingham City Council last Thursday, but talks have so far failed.

Unite says the dispute will not end unless the "hugely damaging" cuts to bin collectors' wages are reversed.

But Birmingham City Council says the aim of the restructuring is to create a "modern, sustainable and consistently reliable waste collection service".