March and demonstration at Council Chambers, September 20 - Photo: Unite

In early September, Birmingham bin workers overwhelmingly voted to extend their strike action to March next year in face of proposed pay cuts of up to £8,000 and the elimination of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role [1]. According to Unite, a "ball-park" agreement had been negotiated at ACAS earlier in the year but was blocked by government-appointed commissioners overseeing the council.

Following the vote, a national demonstration was held on September 20 in Birmingham in support of the strikers [2]. The march and rally at Victoria Square showed the huge support for the bin workers within the city and the wider workers' movement. Speakers, including Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, linked the council's actions to the government, accusing Keir Starmer's administration of enabling "fire and rehire".

In the face of the workers' determination and wide support, the commissioner-run council is increasingly turning to open police powers.

In May, the Birmingham City Council was granted an interim High Court injunction to restrain picketing that obstructed vehicles leaving depots and blocking access. Subsequently, the interim injunction was extended indefinitely through a ratified consent order between the council and Unite. In July, the council initiated contempt of court proceedings against Unite, alleging a persistent breach of the court order.

Most recently, on October 12, the council formally brought Unite back to the High Court over allegations of further violations of the injunction, specifically concerning the blocking of depots and vehicles, with a hearing scheduled for October 13. The council's statements highlighted "persistent evidence" of repeated breaches, including protests involving individuals standing in front of or leaning against moving vehicles and blocking junctions, all in violation of the existing order [3]. What goes unsaid is that this action taken by the workers, who are increasingly asserting themselves, is in response to the council's using agency labour to undermine the strikes, itself an illegal practice.

Photo: Socialist Party

Meanwhile, the council itself stands accused of trying to break solidarity and intimidate participation. On October 8, Unite reported that an increasing number of agency staff were refusing to cross picket lines due to what they described as a "toxic workplace culture" and "unsustainable workloads" [4]. Many agency workers cited experiences of being bullied, victimized, and threatened with disciplinary action or dismissal in attempts to compel them to complete heavy rounds of work. One anonymous agency worker revealed that they had been employed for nine years without ever being considered for a full-time position. In response to the situation, Unite has pledged to support all bin workers, regardless of their employment status, and has vowed to continue striking until a fair deal is negotiated.

On October 14, a leaked video surfaced in which a manager instructed agency bin workers that those who participated in picketing activities would be disqualified from consideration for permanent jobs. Unite condemned this practice as "blacklisting" and called for accountability from the council. Sharon Graham characterised the council's actions as illegal and demanded that those responsible should face consequences. The manager recorded in the video, belonging to the agency Job and Talent, informed workers that refusal to cross picket lines would result in a ban from permanent roles. Graham further accused the council of harbouring "something rotten at the top," urging ministers to intervene to resolve the ongoing dispute, especially since many agency staff have reportedly worked for the council for over a decade without being offered permanent positions [5].

Photo: Mark Thomas

The public authority in Birmingham has been systematically wrecked in recent years, significantly including the effects of severe government funding cuts, culminating in its alleged "bankruptcy" in August 2023 [6]. How the council of Britain's second city can be declared financially bankrupt is the height of capital-centric irrationality. The massive value created by the services it provides could not be clearer as the effects of this strike unfold.

Rather, this so-called bankruptcy has been the excuse to appoint commissioners representing private interests, in what amounts to a coup at the level of local government. These commissioners were handed control of the council by the previous government in October 2023, which appointed six commissioners and two political advisors to oversee the council. The commissioners, led by Max Caller, effectively exercise control over the council via extensive powers, including amending budgets and appointing or dismissing senior staff, not to mention claiming fees and expenses which, according to figures on the Birmingham City Council website, are running at over £80,000 per month [7]. The commissioners' role is to guide the council through a "recovery" plan, which may involve selling assets, cutting services, and increasing council tax.

The strike then remains ongoing. The council's stance, expressed in its legal action, is simply to take a more forceful posture, a stance that will solve nothing and prolong the struggle.

The demand of all in Birmingham, after seven months of continuous bin strikes, is that the dispute must be resolved. The situation is intolerable. Enough Is Enough! The voice of the workers must prevail! No to the imposed commission!

Notes
1. "Birmingham Bin Strike Escalates as Union Votes to Extend Action Until 2026", Workers' Weekly, September 13, 2025
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-25/ww25-21/ww25-21-02.htm
2. "Birmingham demo says 'Victory to the striking bin workers!'", National Shop Steward's Network newsletter 741, September 24, 2025
https://www.shopstewards.net/2025/09/nssn-741-birmingham-demo-says-victory-to-the-striking-binworkers/
3. "Bin workers 'deliberately' breached order - lawyer", BBC News, October 14, 2025
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gprre0dezo
“Birmingham City Council takes Unite the Union to court over claims bin workers blocked depots”, ITV News, October 12, 2025
https://www.itv.com/news/central/2025-10-12/birmingham-city-council-takes-unite-to-court-claiming-bin-workers-blocked-depots
4. "Birmingham bin agency staff refusing to cross picket lines due to 'toxic workplace culture'", Unite the Union, October 8, 2025
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2025/october/birmingham-bin-agency-staff-refusing-to-cross-picket-lines-due-to-toxic-workplace-culture
5. "Birmingham bin worker blacklisting scandal rocks council", Unite the Union, October 14, 2025
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2025/october/birmingham-bin-worker-blacklisting-scandal-rocks-council
6. "Birmingham Bin Workers Militantly Strike", Workers' Weekly, March 23, 2025
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-25/ww25-07/ww25-07-06.htm
7. "Cost of commissioners and expenses", Birmingham City Council, August 8, 2025 (retrieved October 16, 2025)
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50306/commissioners_intervention_and_improvement/2768/intervention_and_commissioners/5

The website says: “The fees for commissioners are set by the Department for Levelling up Housing and Communities (DLUHC). The fees are: £1,200 per day for the Lead Commissioner; £1,100 per day for the other commissioners.”

Link to Full Issue of Workers' Weekly

RCPB(ML) Home Page

Workers' Weekly Online Archive