Birmingham refuse workers involved in a long-running dispute over potential job cuts, yesterday (18 September) voted to continue strike action.
Trade union Unite, which represents the council’s refuse workers, said action could run up until Christmas after 92.4% of workers voted in favour of the motion at a second ballot.
Unite said action could run up until Christmas after 92.4% of workers voted in favour of the motion at a second ballot.
The current mandate for industrial action runs out on Friday 22 September. Yesterday’s vote extends the period for strike action by a further 12 weeks.
This is the latest update in a dispute between Unite and Birmingham city council over proposed changes to working practices of the council’s refuse and recycling collection workers (see letsrecycle.com story).
The long haul
Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: “As this overwhelming result demonstrates, Unite members are prepared for the long haul and to take strike action up to the end of the year.”
“We would urge the council to reflect on this overwhelming vote, honour the Acas agreement and end the misery its dishonourable actions are inflicting on the good people of Birmingham.”
In light of yesterday’s result, a Birmingham city council spokesperson said the authority was ‘disappointed’ by the news.
The spokesperson said: “The council wants to offer the best possible refuse collection service for citizens and wants to work with Unite and all the other unions to do this but we need there to be an understanding of the pressures we face when shaping our services for the future.”
“As this overwhelming result demonstrates, Unite members are prepared for the long haul and to take strike action up to the end of the year.”
Howard Becket
Unite
“We have more than enough suitable permanent alternatives for those affected and urge employees to engage with us so we can assist them with their future plans.”
Injunction
Unite has also sought an injunction against Birmingham council’s issuing of redundancy notices for some waste workers, which was heard in the High Court yesterday.
In a statement on Friday (15 September) the union said it was seeking to to force Birmingham council to withdraw the redundancy notices it has served on 106 refuse workers.
The notices have been issued to workers in ‘Grade 3’ loader roles. The dispute had led to refuse workers striking for three hours on a daily basis.
Birmingham city council has estimated that contingency plans put in place in response to the industrial action have had a weekly cost of up to £311,000.
According to Unite, the dispute is a result of plans by Birmingham council to reduce the pay of refuse collection loaders.
[gallery_placement]Unite also claimed that the council had gone against an agreement between the two parties and had ‘without warning’ issued redundancy notices to affected workers.
The council has vowed to continue to ‘robustly defend’ the action to deliver a plan that is in the best interests of Birmingham’s citizens.
The news comes a week after the resignation of John Clancy, the leader of Birmingham city council (11 September). Mr Clancy said that ‘ill-informed’ media speculation about the dispute was beginning to harm the council and the Birmingham Labour Party.
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Source: letsrecycle.com General
