Trade Union

Birmingham council is about making lowest paid pay for politicians’ mistakes

From Unite

The following statement by Unite was published on Monday, in response to Birmingham City Council’s declaration of a ‘major incident’:

Unite, the UK’s leading union, said Birmingham council is prepared to throw much more cash down the drain with its disgraceful strike breaking major incident plans than it would cost to resolve the dispute.

This is an attempt to crush any opposition to attacks on jobs, pay and conditions that are set to extend to other workers across the council.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Birmingham council could easily resolve this dispute but instead it seems hellbent on imposing its plan of demotions and pay cuts at all costs. If that involves spending far more than it would cost to resolve the strike fairly, they don’t seem to care.

“We can only conclude that this massive pay cut for hundreds of refuse workers is only the start and this is really about stamping out any future opposition to its plans to unleash austerity 2.0 on Birmingham.

“I urge Birmingham council to rethink this disastrous strategy and to find a way forward that doesn’t involve workers and communities having to pay for politicians’ mistakes. Unite will never accept attacks on our members and we will continue to defend Birmingham’s refuse workforce to the hilt.”

The council is already spending vast amounts extra on expensive agency worker fees within the waste service.

Pay and conditions for refuse workers, most earning little more than the minimum wage, had already been cut before the current dispute, including £1,000 in shift pay. Around 150 workers are directly impacted with pay cuts of up to £8,000, by the removal of the WRCO role, which also ends fair pay progression for hundreds of others.

HGV lorry drivers also at risk of wage cut

Last week, the council confirmed that pay for HGV lorry drivers in the waste service is also at risk of being cut.

Throughout the dispute, the council has repeatedly smeared the behaviour of workers on peaceful picket lines and given artificially low figures about the number of workers who are impacted.

Unite believes the government is also being misled by the council and the commissioners regarding the dispute, following a statement on the major incident announcement by minister of state for local government, Jim McMahon, in parliament today.  

This is reflected by the fact that the council announced its major incident plans, which it had not informed Unite about, while it was in official negotiations with the union.

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “We believe the government is being misled by the council and the commissioners as to the true nature of the dispute.

“Unite has repeatedly said it is ready and willing to undertake intensive negotiations to end the strikes. But that requires the council engaging in good faith on an acceptable deal and ending its vicious and vindictive campaign against its refuse workers.”

Feature picture from the Unite website, here