With the strike staying solid a month in, bin workers have stepped up and increased the number of strike days to three per week. As rubbish piles and the bill for agency crews to try and cover the rounds increases, so will the pressure on the council to reverse the scrapping of the grade 3.
Councillors’ pay up – services slashed
Earlier this week Birmingham's councillors voted a 5.7% increase in their allowances citing an "increase in emotional and financial pressure". Try telling that to Grade 3 bin workers facing an £8000 pay cut and their job becoming miles more dangerous!
At the same time they are preparing to sign off a further £165m in cuts to services, alongside a 7.5% increase in council tax. Brummies will be paying more and getting less – because Labour councillors won’t stand up to their party in government and demand the funding we need.
The cuts will be voted on at a council meeting on Tuesday 25th. Mass protests on this outside the council house in the run up to this bringing together the bin workers, other council workers and service users could force the council to use its powers to fund services, and be the start of a campaign to force central government to cough up the funds our city needs.
Reports from the pickets
Unite members at Perry Barr were in a fighting mood! Workers were not happy with Unite funding the Labour party, especially as nothing has changed with a Labour government.
Workers talked about how they would like to see council-wide coordinated strike action, drawing in other workers affected by the planned £150m of cuts.
One worker said, "It's always a fight between us (the workers) and them (the bosses)". Another said "we're paying more and getting less. Everything goes up except our wages."
Agency workers were given them shifts over permanent BCC staff when they have been in on non strike days. The BCC workers ended up spending an entire day sitting in the depot. To make the most of the time, the staff conducted lots of health and safety checks and prevented wagons from leaving because so many policies are missed by management!
The new head of service (on £250k+ salary) went to Perry Barr depot to speak with the strikers, and depot management refused to help him. It seems he's never been up against industrial action before and had no knowledge of fleet and waste services. Let's just say he left the meeting with his tail between his legs once the strikers were through with him!
Meanwhile workers at Lifford Lane told us “It’s about standing strong and keeping what you’ve got. They’re coming for us first then it will be the rest of the council.” They also pointed out that ACAS being brought in shows the council are starting to panic!
At the gate meeting at Atlas depot in Tyseley, one picket said “we’re the ones who keep this city running. Without us businesses, schools and homes would be drowning in rubbish!”
