Deal agreed to end Birmingham

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An end to the bin strikes is ‘now within sight’, Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton has announced, with Unite members set to vote on a potential deal.

In a statement, Cotton said: “This has been a challenging and complex process, but after months of hard work, on the principles and parameters of a deal, I believe a new improved offer can be made and terms can be put in place that address the ‘ballpark issues’ discussed at Acas that Unite members can agree in order to end the strike once and for all.”

Unite said the full details of the deal will remain confidential while negotiations with the council continue. However, the union confirmed it is based on the ‘ballpark’ deal agreed at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) last year.

The broad outline of the ballpark deal is:

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said the deal was a ‘vindication’ for the striking workers.

“Over the last few months, there have been intense negotiations to get the blocked ‘ballpark’ deal back on the table, so that our members could vote on it,” Graham said.

Graham also issued scathing criticism of ‘government-backed commissioners’, accusing them of ‘vindictive interference’ and overstepping their remit to block the deal multiple times.

Refuse workers in Birmingham have been on strike for over 12 months, with agency staff voting to join the industrial action last year, over the city council’s decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.

The dispute has grown increasingly bitter over time and fractured relations between Unite and the Labour Party.

In March, the union took the ‘unprecedented’ step of cutting its funding to Labour by 40%, £580,000, over the government’s handling of bin strikes.

Tagged Birmingham bin strikes, local authorities, Unite