Bin Strikes in Birmingham Set to Continue Past May
Unite warns industrial action could stretch past May’s elections unless a deal is reached.
Last updated 17th Nov 2025
Bin strikes in Birmingham could continue well beyond next May’s local elections, unless a breakthrough is reached between the council and refuse workers, Unite has warned.
The union says its members have “overwhelmingly” backed an extension of industrial action, and that the dispute is now escalating, with agency workers preparing to join council-employed staff on the picket lines.
From December 1st, agency staff hired through Job & Talent for the city’s refuse contract will be able to take part in official strike action. Unite says many of them already refuse to cross picket lines because of what they describe as unmanageable workloads.
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, accused Birmingham City Council and Job & Talent of treating workers “terribly”, and said the dispute could have been settled months ago.
She said “Birmingham Council is spending money it doesn’t have on a dispute that could be resolved by agreeing a fair deal. Our members, both agency staff and those directly employed, have the union’s complete backing.”
Hundreds of Unite members in the city’s waste service have been on continuous strike since March, in a row over pay and job security. The union says the strain on the workforce has continued to grow as more agency staff join the action or refuse to cover striking colleagues.
There’s still no sign of a compromise, and Unite says unless the council comes forward with a new offer, Birmingham could be facing months more of disruption.