Waste is again piling up in Birmingham as the Labour-run City Council refuses to back down from their attacks on refuse workers.
By Sharron Milsom
350 bin workers, members of the Unite trade union, have been on all-out strike since 11 March over pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year. Their employer has decided to abolish the role of Waste Recycling & Collection Officer (WRCO), and reduce bin crews from four to three people.
An offer by the council in April of 6 months’ pay protection plus a lump sum was overwhelmingly rejected in a ballot – 97% voted against acceptance, on a 60% turnout. The suspicions of these workers that their pay would be attacked were soon borne out.
According to the new offer, 200 drivers would be downgraded from grade four to three; and bin crews would only have loaders, now paid little more than minimum wage.
Megapicket
The strikers have been receiving support from other trade unionists – including on a ‘megapicket’ at the Lillifoot Lane depot on 9 May. Over 300 trade unionists joined the picket, including striking Sheffield bin workers.
Leading trade unionists from the National Education Union, the Fire Brigades Union, and the train driver’s union ASLEF, spoke at the rally. One of the Sheffield bin workers brought solidarity from their ongoing nine-month long strike for union recognition.
The ‘megapicket’ succeeded in preventing bin lorries from leaving the depot. Six days later a depot was closed altogether at 6.30am. Further pickets have successfully held back the lorries – on at least one occasion at all three depots
In the days leading up to going to print, the High Court has unsurprisingly sided with the employer and granted an indefinite injunction against the pickets blocking lorries, a disgraceful attack on the power of the strike and must be opposed with further megapickets.
Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton has said they had made the bin workers “a very fair offer, which means no worker need lose any money.” He is referring to redeployment opportunities – which some WRCO workers have taken up.
But it is hardly fair that those staying in the refuse service lose up to £650 per month, whilst undertaking incredibly valuable and physical work. Any new employees would be on the lower pay.
Equal pay for who?
Cotton has claimed that the bin workers’ pay cuts are necessary to avoid equal pay claims. Years of underpayment of mainly female teaching assistants, cleaners and catering staff had led to a claim for equal pay for work of equal value. But that is settled. Which group of workers does he think might claim now?
Unite National Lead Officer Onay Kasab said that the union has not been told which, if any, group of employees the council is comparing to the bin workers. If the council fears any group may have a valid claim surely these workers would like to know! In any case, socialists and trade unionists demand that equal pay is implemented by levelling up, not levelling down!
The council then claimed the pay and job cuts are about ‘securing a better waste service.’ How does fewer, lower paid staff do this? Nor should the workforce have to lose pay to keep a service running. Birmingham residents have pointed to the councillors having accepted a 5.7% increase themselves this year – whilst demanding pay cuts exceeding 20% from bin workers.
The dispute is currently with ACAS. The strikers have not been advised of any further settlement proposals. But their pay and conditions must not be negotiated away. The council’s pay and job cuts must be withdrawn. Demand extra funding from the government instead!
It’s clear this battle has become a vital showdown for not just the bin workers and the Labour-led council but the trade union movement and the national government. That means escalation will be key to victory.
