Birmingham bin strike talks set to resume after weeks of rubbish piled up on streets
23 April 2025, 00:03
Talks aimed at ending the long-running Birmingham bin strike will resume on Wednesday.
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Leaders of the Unite union will meet officials from the Birmingham city council in a new bid to resolve the row.
Union members have been on strike for more than a month in a bitter dispute over pay and jobs, leading to rubbish piling up on the streets.
The two sides met last week and both said they were prepared to hold talks over Easter, but they did not go ahead.
The council has been concentrating on clearing the rubbish, while the government has urged both sides to negotiate a deal. Despite pressure for an end to the strike, the row remains deadlocked, with little sign of a breakthrough.
Communities minister Jim McMahon has said at least 26,000 tonnes of rubbish have been removed from Birmingham’s streets, as he claimed “significant progress” is being made to help the city.
Responding to an urgent question from the Tories, Mr McMahon told the Commons: “We’ve been providing intensive support to the council in its efforts to address the backlog of waste that has been building up on the city’s streets and significant progress has been made in the last fortnight.
“Through a concerted effort, and with the assistance of other councils, private operators and the endeavour of many hundreds of determined workers who have worked extremely long hours, the resulting 26,000 tonnes of excess waste have been removed and the levels are now approaching normal."
He revealed more than 100 trucks are out every day and regular collections have resumed. He added: "The council continues to monitor the situation closely to ensure that waste does not build up again.”
