Unite has claimed agency bin staff have ‘joined’ their fight on the picket line for a better deal
Birmingham City Council is terrified over continued pressure from striking bin workers and agency staff joining their fight for a better deal, a union has claimed.
Blue flare smoke filled the air outside the offices of agency ‘Job&Talent’ on Waterloo Street in the city centre this morning, October 9, as striking binmen called for an end to the long-running dispute.
They claimed the company, which has provided the council with agency bin staff during the industrial action, was complicit in trying to “break the strike”.
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We exclusively reported in July how the council had paid out nearly £8m to two private firms to keep its rubbish collections going. The authority spent more than £6.5m on agency staff through just one provider in the first six months of this year – nearly double the amount spent in the same period last year.
Union boss Onay Kasab last week claimed the council had spent millions of pounds extra on agency staff. The authority today, however, said the level of agency staff was the same as before the strikes began and was money that would have ‘been spent anyway’.
We also told today how the saga had cost the authority at least £14m in total since it began, while yesterday the union claimed agency workers employed to cover roles of striking staff were refusing to cross picket lines.
Mr Kasab, speaking on a megaphone at the demonstration outside Cavendish House office building today, spoke of a “disgraceful waste of taxpayers money”.
He said: “Job&Talent is being used to attempt to break our strike, a strike which they’re not going to break.
“This council will pay the price at the elections. It gives us no joy to say a Labour council will end up losing seats and by-elections to come because of what it is doing to their workers.”
Mr Kasab pulled out his phone, claiming he had just received an email from council leader John Cotton.
“It starts off…there’s about 20 paragraphs…but it could possibly be summarised by saying ‘wah-wah-wah’,” said Mr Kasab, his words followed by a roar of cheers.
Striking bin workers in Birmingham city centre (Image: Harry Leach/BirminghamLive )
“A lot of crying but here’s the key bit, ‘we understand a number of individuals engaged by their agency have now withdrawn their labour and have now joined the picket line’.
“The message is getting through. The lesson is this: they’re s******* themselves. Our message is clear: we’re going to win.”
Striking binman Steeven Biset, 32, said: “It seems like there’s no end in sight. All of us, we just want a fair deal. If there was a decent enough offer on the table we’d go back to work tomorrow.”
We have contacted the council for comment.
A spokesperson for Job&Talent told BirminghamLive: “We’re aware of the ongoing industrial action involving refuse workers in Birmingham – and the recent allegations made against the company.
“Job&Talent confirms all staffing practices related to the three refuse depots across Birmingham are fully compliant with all applicable legislation.
“Staffing levels have been maintained in line with those that existed prior to the start of the industrial action, with no increase in numbers at any of the depots across the city.
“A review was undertaken by the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), which Job&Talent fully cooperated with. The audit concluded with no findings of wrongdoing, reaffirming the company’s full compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
“Job&Talent remains firmly committed to operating with transparency, integrity, and in full accordance with employment laws.
“It prioritises the rights, welfare, and safety of its workforce, maintaining regular communication to ensure all workers feel supported. Open to constructive dialogue with all stakeholders, the company will continue to act responsibly in supporting both clients and workers throughout this period.”