{"id":91596,"date":"2025-05-11T02:30:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T02:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/91596\/"},"modified":"2025-05-11T02:30:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T02:30:16","slug":"i-visited-birminghams-bin-strike-megapicket-and-saw-why-they-were-fighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/91596\/","title":{"rendered":"I visited Birmingham’s bin strike ‘megapicket’ and saw why they were fighting"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Birmingham ‘megapicket’ at Lifford Lane depot disrupted bin collections and drew support from across the country\"ProtestersProtesters at the Birmingham bins strike ‘megapicket’ on Friday, May 9(Image: Alexander Brock)<\/p>\n

Under the watchful eye of a giant inflatable rat, unions and protesters at a bins strike \u2018megapicket\u2019 on Friday sent a defiant message \u2014 they are united and willing to fight on.<\/p>\n

It was shortly before 7am on a warm spring morning that I arrived at the lively demonstration<\/a> at Lifford Lane depot, organised in support of Birmingham<\/a>\u2019s striking bin workers.<\/p>\n

The crowd was decent despite the turnout falling short of the thousands predicted by organisers. Workers from across the country arrived throughout the morning to show solidarity.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong>Birmingham bin strike ‘megapicket’ live as protestors ‘shut depot down’<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

With the depot gates closed and no lorries leaving, speakers had free rein to make their voices heard while protesters waved flags and chanted slogans such as \u2018cut back, fight back\u2019.<\/p>\n

Through this coordinated show of strength, it soon became clear that for many unions, the Birmingham bins strike had become a vivid symbol of their own disputes and struggles \u2014 whether those faced by school workers or firefighters.<\/p>\n

The industrial action, triggered by a dispute between Unite and Birmingham Council<\/a>, was therefore a fight that mattered deeply to people outside of the city, too.<\/p>\n

As one message of support to bin workers, which appeared on the side of a van, said: \u201cDon\u2019t give in! Keep going – your win is a win for everyone!\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the speakers at the demonstration, Kate Taylor from the Brum Rise Up campaign, also told the crowd that the bin strike was \u201cfor all of us\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"ProtestersProtesters and a giant inflatable rat at the Birmingham bins strike ‘megapicket’ at Lifford Lane depot on Friday, May 9(Image: Alexander Brock)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s for all trade unionists,\u201d she said as those around me applauded. \u201cThat is why so many of us are here today, showing solidarity and fighting with you.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday has to be the start of mobilising a wider movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cIt would be wonderful if Unite could call a national demo in Birmingham on a Saturday where the bin workers are marching at the front and showing the way for the rest of us.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is your strike, you can lead it and so many others to victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Adam Taylor, from the Fire Brigades Union, told me that he knew \u201cwhat cuts to the service\u201d felt like.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Fire Brigades Union attended the ‘megapicket’ in Birmingham(Image: Alexander Brock)<\/p>\n

\u201cAn attack on one worker is an attack on all, so that\u2019s why we\u2019re showing solidarity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He went on to urge Birmingham City Council<\/a> to \u201cget round the table and sort this out right now\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been going on for months,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s quite clear the council hasn’t been willing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another show of support came from the National Education Union, with member Shirley Perry urging the council to \u201cput it right\u201d regarding the bin strike dispute.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s within your [the council\u2019s] power,\u201d she told me. \u201cIt\u2019s the right thing to do – we expect a council to pay bin workers properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong>Birmingham City Council accused of ‘undermining local democracy’ after divisive change<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

With the various unions showing solidarity, Unite also made clear during the demonstration that it had no intention of backing down in its dispute with the council.<\/p>\n

Amid fears the bins strike could drag on into the summer, the union\u2019s regional officer Zoe Mayou was asked whether they\u2019re anticipating that happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s what we need to do unfortunately,\u201d she told me. \u201cThat\u2019s unfortunate for our members and residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s down to the council to come up with a proper offer and be open, honest and transparent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be out here any longer than we have to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UniteUnite regional officer Zoe Mayou at the Birmingham bins strike ‘megapicket'(Image: Alexander Brock)<\/p>\n

Minutes later, Unite’s national lead officer Onay Kasab addressed the crowd and told them: \u201cWe as a trade union will not stand by while our members, in whatever borough, face pay cuts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis could be happening in local authority after local authority.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cThe lesson is this – if you want decent services, if you want pay, you have to stand up. You have to strike.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlogans are fine, marches have their place but if we\u2019re going to make a difference, then we have to look at the example set by the Birmingham bin workers – strike, strike and strike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Disruption to service<\/strong><\/p>\n

The city council issued advice to residents affected by the disruption caused by the ‘megapicket’ on Friday morning, May 9.<\/p>\n

“Due to a protest outside Lifford Lane there have been disruptions to today’s collections,\u201d a council spokesperson said. “Please leave your bin out and we will aim to collect it on Saturday or as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

They added: “We were aware of the planned protest, the safety of everyone involved was always our priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe therefore revised operational deployment plans to reflect this overarching principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birmingham’s bins strike dispute is over the council\u2019s plans to scrap a Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role, which Unite said would force \u201cdedicated workers onto pay levels barely above the minimum wage\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"ProtestersProtesters gather for the Birmingham bins strike ‘megapicket'(Image: Alexander Brock)<\/p>\n

However, the council has insisted in the past that a \u201cfair and reasonable offer\u201d has been made, with council leader John Cotton adding it \u201ccannot and will not entertain anything that would re-open an equal pay liability\u201d.<\/p>\n

But recent news that waste truck drivers in Birmingham could see their jobs downgraded and their pay cut by thousands of pounds a year has resulted in further tension.<\/p>\n

On the drivers, a spokesperson for the council said recently: \u201cThis fair and transparent job evaluation process, jointly agreed with trade unions, is necessary to ensure the council complies with equal pay laws.\u201d<\/p>\n

They continued the decision to grade drivers as ‘grade 3’ was ‘indicative’ only and subject to further collective consultation.<\/p>\n

“It is part of an ongoing process of quality assurance and moderation, and this an indicative grade which is subject to further collective consultation,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remain committed to delivering a fair and sustainable deal for drivers and collectors and we will continue those discussions with Unite.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Birmingham ‘megapicket’ at Lifford Lane depot disrupted bin collections and drew support from across the countryProtesters at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91597,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,7831,984,748,393,728,4884,285,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-91596","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-birmingham-bin-strike","10":"tag-birmingham-city-council","11":"tag-britain","12":"tag-england","13":"tag-environment","14":"tag-great-britain","15":"tag-politics","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114486852206674545","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}