Around 40 agency workers are currently on strike along with hundreds of full-time bin workers employed by Birmingham City Council
‘Victimised’ Birmingham agency bin workers have ‘given themselves a voice to be heard’ by joining strike action for the first time, refuse collectors said today, Monday, December 1.
Around 40 agency workers are on strike along with hundreds of full-time bin workers employed by Birmingham City Council.
They were praised for showing courage by balloting to strike amid contested allegations of “blacklisting, bullying and intimation”. More than 200 bin workers protested outside the Smithfield depot off, Sherlock Street, in Birmingham city centre today.
READ MORE: Birmingham bin strike rally live as city waste collections suspended
They marched towards the city council offices in Victoria Square. Red and blue flares were set off along with firecrackers. Chants of ‘unite, unite, we stand up and we fight’ also broke out.
Job & Talent agency bin workers during a picket line and rally outside Job & Talent’s Smithfield Depot in Birmingham on the first day of strike action by refuse workers employed by the firm(Image: PA)
Agency bin staff vowed to strike “for as long as it takes.” Bin loader Luke Graham, who has has worked via the Job & Talent agency for the last three-and-a-half years, told BirminghamLive: “The reason I’ve come out (to strike) is the way the council treats us and even the agency. The way they communicate is unacceptable.
“It’s the ‘blacklisting’, the constant threats on your job, you’ll be disciplined if you don’t do this and don’t do that.
“As agency (staff), we’ve been working since the strikes were on, which a lot of us didn’t want to do. But we’ve done it and instead of getting a ‘thanks for doing this’, it’s threats on your job. You’d think they’d be more appreciative.”
He said the agency workers would continue to strike “for as long as it takes.”
“I know all the lads are the same, it will be for as long as it takes being out here fighting for it,” he said.
“Any human will understand why we’re doing it. We have to stand for what’s right and hopefully get better standards for agency workers going in or jobs on the table for agency workers who have been there years.”
Bin workers marching to the council house (Image: PA)
Bin collections were suspended largely across the city for the day, although some residents still had bins collected.
The Unite union representing striking binmen, said its members did not block lorries from leaving city depots.
A spokesperson for the union said: “The depots were clear to operate and the lorries would have been free to come and go. The council made the decision to suspend services despite corporation and pre-planning with police.”
A Birmingham bin lorry driver claimed agency workers had ‘found their voice’ by striking today.
Mike Masters, a driver and team leader, said agency workers had been overloaded with work and were now taking a stand to “stand up for themselves”.
“We’re here to celebrate history as it’s the first time in the strike agency workers have been brought out on strike,” he told BirminghamLive. “They are sick to death of being victimised and bullied.
“The full-time staff came out to strike (all out) in March and the managers at the city council put their arms around the agency workers and promised them jobs and things that weren’t there.
“Six months later they are threatening them with the sack if they don’t get the work done. They are sending them extra work, which is inconceivable. They can’t complete the jobs they’ve been given to do. It absolute victimising and bullying. It’s shocking.
“It’s the first time they been balloted – which passed 100 percent for them to come out. They’re standing up for themselves and given themselves a voice to be heard. This should not be just in Birmingham, but celebrated up and down the country.
“We need a deal for the people of Birmingham for the workers of Birmingham, for the families, for the communities of Birmingham for the agency workers – we need to be stood firm.
“Christmas is coming, it’s not getting any easier, it’s getting harder and harder, but we’re here in solidarity.”
The bin rally outside Job & Talent’s Smithfield Depot in Birmingham this morning (December 1)(Image: PA)
Birmingham-born politician Zarah Sultana, the MP for Coventry South, told crowds at the rally: “I want to especially congratulate the agency workers who have shown courage in balloting for strike. Bullying and intimidation has absolutely no place.”
Industrial action over pay and conditions started in January before all-out industrial action started in March. Despite previous talks between the city council and Unite the union, the deadlock has not been broken.
Bin driver Luke Dalton said agency workers previously did not feel they could make a stand amid fears they could be dismissed at any time. He said some workers had been on a temporary contract for 12 years.
“The council is implying the workload is sustainable and it’s OK,” he told BirminghamLive: A lot of the agency workers have been working, five, six, seven years – some up to 12 years.
“We have members on our line who have done 12 years service and are still only on a temporary contract. They’ve got to a point where they’ve said ‘hold on, you’re threatening us’ if they don’t complete they could face disciplinary action.
“The reality is no disciplinary action ever happens. What it will be is a phone call to be told ‘don’t come back tomorrow.’ It’s happened on more than one occasion during this dispute. They’ve just had enough and needed to make a stand.”
He said agency workers had asked Unite for “support”. We were getting calls from inside saying ‘we need help, they’re victimising and bullying us, putting pressure on us, it’s not right but we don’t feel we have a leg to stand on,” he said. We have put the support in place for them.”
A message at today’s bin rally (Image: PA)
Striking bin workers are pressing for the city council to resume negotiations. Mohammad Tanweer, a driver and team leader at Perry Barr depot told BirminghamLive: “I’m here today to stand together and be united in solidarity with my colleagues – full time workers and the agency.
“We’ve been fighting for so long for this strike to end. We hope this (agency workers now striking) will make a difference because the more we have standing outside on the picket lines, the more it gives the council to think about this dispute.
“It’s been going on far too long and has been far too stressful for full time and agency workers.
“We just want the council to come to negotiations with the Unite reps and make a deal. We do think it’s possible and we will carry on until we find a result.”
A council spokeswoman told BirminghamLive: “While we are disappointed the dispute has not been resolved as Unite has rejected all our offers, we are continuing to make regular waste collections and our contingency plan is working.
“We have been collecting an average of approximately 1,330 tonnes of kerbside waste every day, more than we did prior to industrial action, and over the last six months we have collected over 100,000 tonnes of kerbside waste.
“There has been a 22 per cent increase in tonnage of waste collected per employee and a 52 per cent improvement regarding missed collections.
“A small number of agency staff are in a separate dispute with Job & Talent. The city council has contingency plans and will continue to look to maintain residents with a minimum of one collection a week.
“Meanwhile we continue to move forward with the service improvements that are long overdue and that our residents need.”
Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana (centre) with the striking bin workers(Image: PA)
Over the blacklisting allegations, it said: “The council does not condone any actions which are contrary to legislation and good employment practice. Blacklisting will not be tolerated. A full investigation was immediately initiated. This has now concluded and has found that no blacklisting has taken place.”
And responding to bullying allegations, the council said: “We strongly refute Unite’s claims of bullying which are unfounded. Our agency workforce have been crucial to delivering a consistent waste service during this strike, with improved reliability for residents.
“Transformation of the city’s waste service began in 2024. Part of this transformation includes initiatives to enhance our waste colleagues’ progression and training opportunities alongside work to foster a positive and collaborative working environment. “Managers regularly engage with workforce through ‘check-ins’ and 1-2-1s, and we have also invested in new welfare facilities for our agency workforce.
“Our crews’ and contractors’ workloads are in line with industry standards, with crew performance monitored to ensure collection standards are met. Crews are supported throughout their employment, and the management team work in partnership with the agency and the collection crews to jointly review targets.”