Under pressure Birmingham City Council is determined to end the ongoing bin strike with ‘no-one having to lose any pay,’ the authority said.
Talks to resolve the dispute will continue next week after the authority said it has made a “fair and reasonable offer.”
This has seen Unite the Union ballot members over the new deal and a decision could be made tomorrow, Monday, April 14.
READ MORE: Crunch time in Birmingham bin workers dispute as all out strike nears sixth week
READ MORE: Woman hit by van in chase remains critical as incident referred to police watchdog
The all-out bin strike nears its sixth week after it started on Monday, March 10.
It followed the council removing a Grade 3 bin worker role – known as a Recycling and Collection Officer.
Unite the Union members outside the Atlas Depot in Redfern Road, Tyseley, pictured with police officers in attendance, at the start of the all-out strike
In the latest update, the leader of the council councillor John Cotton said today, Sunday, April 13: “I will stress again that we have made a fair and reasonable offer that means that no-one has to lose any pay at all, with alternative roles offered within the service, or indeed a promotion to work as a driver.
“We’re determined to reach an agreement but in the meantime, the clear-up continues.”
Last week Unite said it was “continuing to engage in intensive talks” with the council on behalf of the refuse workers.
It said: “No resolution has yet been reached but Unite has put forward a range of fair and reasonable solutions to bring this dispute to an end.”
The council said their clean-up crews have collected 11,588 tonnes of waste, including the waste taken to Household Waste Recycling Centre – which is the equivalent to 1,000 Orca whales – since Friday, April 4.
Crews have been clearing 1,500 tonnes of waste per day since vehicles have been able to deploy on time with around 100 to 120 refuse collection vehicles out every day.
Birmingham City Council warns residents not to follow bin trucks but to put waste by your bin
It has repurposed between 40 and 60 housing and street cleansing vehicles and deployed multiple ‘grab trucks’ to clear large rubbish piles each day, prioritising 15 of the most affected hotspot wards.
It said it is also supported by extra vehicles through mutual aid. It predicts it will have around 4,500 tonnes left to clear up this week.
Coun Cotton added: “Our work to clear the backlog is gathering pace and we will continue collecting waste over the weekend.
“I fully appreciate that there is still more to do, and I share the frustration of people across the city, but now that we are getting our crews out on time every day, we are starting to see a difference and I want to thank our amazing crews for their hard work over the last week.
“I also want to thank every citizen, community group and organisation that is helping with the clear-up.
“People are helping in neighbourhoods right across the city and their support is helping to clear our streets.”
Some of the household recycling centres have extended opening hours and slots can be booked online.
Mobile household waste centres are operating on extended hours too. You can check locations here.