16:29, 03 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
![\"Birmingham](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_escenic-2025-12-03T160719844.jpg\")
Birmingham Council leader Coun John Cotton\/Conservative group leader Coun Robert Alden(Image: Alexander Brock)<\/p>\n
The political leadership at Birmingham City Council faced fury over the bins strike this week amid \u201cunacceptable costs\u201d and the approach of a grim milestone.<\/p>\n
The current industrial action<\/a>, triggered by a dispute between the council<\/a> and Unite the union, has now been rumbling on since January.<\/p>\n During the past 11 months or so, it has caused heaps of rubbish to pile up during its height; demonstrations outside depots and furious outbursts during council meetings.<\/p>\n READ MORE: <\/strong>Five things we learnt about major Birmingham bin changes – including fortnightly collections update<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Such disruptions continued during Tuesday\u2019s full council meeting, when one man in support of Unite in the public gallery began shouting about how the dispute had \u2018wasted\u2019 millions of pounds.<\/p>\n \u201cNo apology from any of you,\u201d he said, referring to the councillors in the chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have lied and lied \u2013 you have scaremongered about the equal pay liability.\u201d<\/p>\n Later in the meeting, after the man had been removed from the gallery by security, the Labour<\/a> administration at the council faced further anger over the strike from opposition councillors.<\/p>\n \u201cAn end to Labour\u2019s year-long bins strike, which is causing misery for Brummies, is no closer,\u201d Conservative<\/a> councillor Robert Alden said.<\/p>\n \u201cResidents [have been swarmed] by rubbish and rats.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many more months of bins strike misery do residents have to endure before the [council] leader will finally lead and meet with Unite to try and end the strike?\u201d<\/p>\n Labour council leader John Cotton hit back: \u201cI\u2019m disappointed to see the leader of the opposition take a stance that is absolute at variance with how we deal with industrial relations matters \u2013 not just in this local authority but every local authority around the country.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is right and proper that the political leadership of this council sets the policy, strategy and expectations \u2013 and that we look to the head of paid service and professional officers to undertake those negotiations with trade union representatives.\u201d<\/p>\n Coun Cotton went on to argue that Unite had rejected a \u201csuccession of fair offers\u201d that had been put on the table.<\/p>\n READ MORE: <\/strong>Birmingham bins boss issues message as residents face 15 months without recycling collections<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201c[Unite] has asked us for stuff that frankly this council will not and cannot concede because it would reopen all of the challenges that we have faced over equal pay,\u201d he said. \u201cChallenges that we\u2019re bringing to a close.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would like to see this dispute brought to a close \u2013 but what I will not do is put at risk the financial viability of this council.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Unacceptable costs\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n The meeting also saw independent councillor Martin Brooks, who previously quit Labour, argue that the costs of the bins strike dispute were \u201cunacceptable to the people of Birmingham<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen will you go back to the negotiating table?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI think [Coun Brooks] should have listened to the answer I gave to the leader of the opposition,\u201d Coun Cotton responded.<\/p>\n \u201cWith regard to the costs of the dispute, they will be reported in the usual way through cabinet and budget reports.\u201d<\/p>\n Coun Majid Mahmood, the cabinet member for environment, acknowledged the financial impact the bins strike is having on the authority while speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week.<\/p>\n The direct costs and loss of income from garden waste is estimated to have cost the council at least \u00a314 million.<\/p>\n But a report recently said the industrial action will also have an impact on the council\u2019s ability to make savings by transforming the waste service \u2013 a crucial project which was pushed back from April this year to June 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be difficult at this stage to specify exactly what the cost of industrial action is,\u201d Coun Mahmood said. \u201cWe do have a budget meeting in February where the costs will be published.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a significant cost, we can\u2019t hide behind that fact. We want to bring [the industrial action] to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n Referring to equal pay, he added: \u201cWe do know the cost of any new claims of discrimination far exceeds the current costs of industrial action.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Angry](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_WhatsApp-Image-2025-12-02-at-150341jpeg.jpg\")
Angry outbursts over the bins strike saw the Birmingham council meeting adjourned for the first time on December 2(Image: Alexander Brock)<\/p>\n![\"Majid](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_MajidPNG.png\")
Majid Mahmood, Birmingham’s cabinet member for environment(Image: Birmingham City Council)<\/p>\n