Ryan Heart was just hours away from being embroiled in a court battle with Unite
05:30, 13 Apr 2025Updated 10:15, 13 Apr 2025
Striking bin men slow walk in front of bin lorries in Redfern Road outside the Atlas council depot in Tyseley, with a queue of bin lorries behind
A university law student launched a David v Goliath court bid to stop striking binmen blocking lorries at waste depots – claiming it was unlawful.
Ryan Heart threatened the Unite union, which represents the refuse workers, with a high court injunction in a bid to prevent them from blocking wagons at sites such as Tyseley’s Atlas depot.
The case was due to be heard at Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre on Thursday, April 10, until a last-minute ‘agreement’ was reached between the two parties.
READ MORE: Birmingham bin strike live as talks to break deadlock intensify
The 34-year-old Open University student, from Erdington, said he was “just a normal guy” who chose to take action because of what he called Unite’s “despicable behaviour” in allowing members to obstruct wagons on the picket line.
He said he hadn’t been concerned about the prospect of a costly legal battle with the union because he had very little money for them to take.
Bin workers picketing outside the Tyseley depot on April 1. Bin lorries queued up to leave the depot but were delayed by slow walking strikers (Image: Birmingham Live)
Mr Heart said he decided to take matters into his own hands after seeing the council declare a major emergency as a result of the estimated 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish which had piled up in the city.
The student said, like the authority, he was concerned for residents’ health.
He said the all-out bin strike should “never be to the detriment” of families’ well-being – and that he was “disappointed” with police allowing binmen to stop the council’s lorries from leaving depots on time.
A spokesperson for Unite confirmed Mr Heart’s case was withdrawn after the union “reiterated that it always abides by the law and liaises with police to hold peaceful picket lines”.
An email, seen by BirminghamLive, was sent to Mr Heart from one of Unite’s lawyers. It said the union will “conform with the relevant legislative provisions including the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the Code of Practice on Picketing 2024”.
Section C (49) of the Code of Practice on picketing says: “Among other matters, it is a criminal offence for pickets to obstruct the highway or the entrance to premises; or to seek physically to bar the passage of vehicles or persons by lying down in the road; linking arms across or circling in the road; or jostling or physically restraining those entering or leaving the premises.”
Mr Heart said he was pleased with the outcome. “I was only ever going to withdraw my case if they agreed to follow the rules.
“I’m just a normal person…but it’s clear that they didn’t see me as just a fly on the wall.”
A spokesperson for Unite said: “The application was withdrawn after Unite reiterated it always abides by the law and liaises with police to hold peaceful picket lines. This is true for every strike.”
The city’s bin workers were this week offered a new deal by Birmingham City Council, raising hopes of an end of the industrial action.
Unite said the ballot would close on Monday, April 14, and then a decision would be made on whether the all-out strike continues.