On January 30, 2026, Birmingham witnessed its third megapicket in the long-running bin workers' strike. The strike, which began in March 2025, was sparked by Birmingham City Council's plans to cut pay and eliminate job roles, affecting close to two hundred workers, who face annual pay reductions of up to £8,000.

This third megapicket, organised by Strike Map, gathered thousands of union members and supporters at major depots like Perry Barr, Tyseley, and Smithfield, aiming to paralyse refuse services across the city. Musical performances added to the atmosphere, creating a vibrant yet defiant mood among the participants [1].

Speakers criticised the ostensibly Labour but commissioner-run council for its refusal to engage constructively with strikers, reflecting the demand for a return to negotiations. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP said: "All we're asking you to do is get around the table and start negotiations. These commissioners, they should've been sacked months ago. What I find offensive is, you look at the pay cut they've tried to inflict, and then how much they're earning on a daily basis. It's money most people couldn't dream of, and yet they sit there trying to dictate how the city should be run."

In the face of the workers' determination and wide support, the council is increasingly turning to open police powers. Last May, the council obtained an interim High Court injunction to prevent picketing that obstructed vehicles and access, which was later extended indefinitely. In July, the council initiated contempt of court proceedings against Unite for breaching the order. And on October 12 the council returned to the High Court with further allegations of violations, including protests obstructing depots and vehicles. What was not said was that these actions by workers were a response to the council employing agency work to undermine the strike, which is illegal.

Now, following the megapicket, the council sought a six-month injunction to prohibit further unauthorised protests supporting the strikes, a move that drew widespread condemnation. The injunction prohibits "unknown individuals" from engaging in protest activities supporting Unite the Union strikes without council consent. It forbids entering or obstructing specific depots and blocking council vehicles. Lawful picketing and protests that do not obstruct waste services remain permitted. Violations of the injunction could lead to up to two years imprisonment, fines, or asset seizure for contempt of court [2].

"This is an act of pure cowardice by Birmingham City Council, backed by their unelected commissioners," Strike Map co-founder Henry Fowler said. "This council's contempt for its own workforce and the people of Birmingham could not be clearer."

"We and our supporters will not end our solidarity with Birmingham's bin workers. You cannot ban solidarity," he added [3].

Reports from the council itself indicate that its intransigence, leading to the drawn-out struggle, and its efforts to break the strike, had incurred an estimated cost of £33.4 million, though Unite argues that £56 million would be a more realistic figure [4]. Lost revenues from bulky and commercial waste collections, alongside direct costs like street cleansing and mobile waste services, could, as the union points out, be more effectively allocated toward honouring previously negotiated agreements with the bin workers. Indeed, according to Unite, a "ballpark" agreement had been negotiated at ACAS earlier last year but was blocked by the council's commissioners.

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, which served as a pretext for placing a group of government-appointed commissioners in control of the city's affairs. As Workers' Weekly pointed out [5], how a city council 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 effectively exercise control over the council via extensive powers, to push through a "recovery" plan, which involves selling assets, cutting services, and increasing council tax.

The strain of the ongoing strike, coupled with council inaction and the punitive measures aimed at suppressing dissent, is causing lasting damage to Birmingham, Britain's second largest city. As the bin workers and their allies prepare for future actions, including possible additional megapickets, the steadfast commitment to fighting for their claim, the dignity of their labour, and defending their conditions remains clear. The demand of all in Birmingham, as the strike approaches its second anniversary, is that the dispute must be resolved. The bin workers are determined not to be marginalised. Enough Is Enough!

Notes
1. "Birmingham bin strike megapicket live as city collections axed", James Cartledge, Harry Leach, Birmingham Mail, January 30, 2026
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmimgham-bin-strike-megapicket-live-33326270
2. "Waste Injunction for Persons Unknown", Birmingham City Council, February 3, 2026
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/WasteInjunctionPersonsUnknown
3. "Birmingham council accused of cowardice as it seeks ban on protests in support of bin workers", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/birmingham-council-accused-cowardice-it-seeks-ban-protests-support-bin-workers
4. "Birmingham council report on spending £33m to break bin strike still likely to underestimate costs by millions", Unite the Union, January 19, 2026 ", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/january/birmingham-council-report-on-spending-33m-to-break-bin-strike-still-likely-to-underestimate-costs-by-millions
5. "Birmingham bin strikes The Voice of the Bin Workers Must Prevail!", Workers' Weekly, October 18, 2025
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-25/ww25-24/ww25-24-01.htm

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