West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) is urging residents in Birmingham to take extra care when storing and disposing of waste as Unite members vote to extend strike action.
Unite the Union said the dispute is over Birmingham City Council’s decision to “downgrade” Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.
On average, Unite said staff performing the “safety-critical” WRCO role will lose around £8,000 a year under the plans.
Birmingham City Council disputed Unite and said its whole team is accountable for working in a safe and responsible way.
An official in the Council told Circular Online that claims that 150 people could lose £8,000 a year in pay are “incorrect”.
They said that the number of staff that could lose the maximum amount (just over £6,000) is 17 people and they will have “pay protection” for six months in line with council policy.
The only way this dispute will end is by halting the brutal and unnecessary attacks on our members’ pay.
A spokesperson for the Council said: “To the small number of workers whose wages are impacted ongoing by the changes to the service (of whom there are now only 40) we have already offered alternatives, including highly valuable LGV Driver Training for career progression and pay, and other roles in the council equivalent to their former roles.”
WMFS said the industrial action has led to rubbish piling up in some areas, increasing fire risks, particularly around high-rise buildings and care homes.
The Fire Service said it is working collaboratively with Birmingham City Council and that they are prioritising collections from these locations, including residents.
Unite accuses Council of using “unlawful labour”
The industrial action may now continue into the summer after nearly 400 workers voted to extend the strike over, what Unite called, Birmingham City Council’s use of temporary labour to “undermine” their industrial action.
Unite is calling on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, which is part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to take action against Birmingham City Council.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham accused the council of the “disgraceful use of unlawful labour” to try and break the strike.
“The only way this dispute will end is by halting the brutal and unnecessary attacks on our members’ pay,” Graham said.
A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council refuted the claim that agency workers have been carrying out work normally undertaken by striking workers.
“We continue to deploy the same number of agency workers on days of action as we would on any normal working days,” the spokesperson told Circular Online.
“The Council would rather not have to overly use agency staff, however, to maintain a service to residents, even when there isn’t a strike, we have to.”
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