The city of Birmingham is braced for a fresh wave of industrial disruption in the New Year, as left-wing groups and trade unions organise a large-scale 'mega-picket' in solidarity with striking refuse workers. The action threatens to prolong a bitter dispute that has already left streets littered with uncollected waste and seen reports of giant rats roaming neighbourhoods.
Escalation of a Long-Running Dispute
The core of the conflict dates back to the start of the year, centring on Birmingham City Council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles. Unite the Union claims this puts around 170 workers at risk of losing up to £8,000 per year, a figure contested by the Labour-run authority. The situation escalated, leading to an all-out strike beginning on 11 March.
Hundreds of Unite members have remained on strike since, causing rubbish to pile up across the city. The council has insisted it made a 'fair and reasonable' pay offer, but formal negotiations broke down completely in July. Council leader John Cotton stated the authority had reached 'the absolute limit' of what it could offer.
The Planned Mega-Picket and Its Backers
Plans are now in motion for a third major demonstration, dubbed 'Megapicket 3-D', scheduled for 30 January from 6am. The event, organised by the group Strike Map, aims to mobilise supporters from across the country, particularly the West Midlands, to target all council depot sites.
This proposed protest has garnered support from a wide coalition, including:
- Jeremy Corbyn's Your Party
- We Demand Change
- ASLEF, NEU, PCS, and FBU unions
- The General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU)
- Several local Trade Union Councils
While not directly involved in organising this specific picket, Unite remains central to the ongoing dispute. The union's general secretary, Sharon Graham, has accused the council of effectively proposing a 'fire and rehire' scheme. Unite has also recently alleged the council is unlawfully employing temporary agency staff to replace strikers, with monthly spending on agencies reportedly tripling since the dispute began.
Public Health Concerns and Previous Actions
The strike's impact has drawn global attention, notably due to shocking images of 'cat-sized' rats confronting council workers amidst the accumulated refuse, raising significant public health concerns.
Previous mega-pickets have caused severe operational disruption. The first in May shut down the Lifford Lane depot and recycling centre. The second in July closed all five sites across Birmingham and Coventry, featuring a speech by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who told crowds: 'It wasn’t the Birmingham bin workers who got the finances of Birmingham City Council into a mess.'
With the council heavily reliant on agency workers and unions planning to ramp up pressure, Birmingham residents face the prospect of entering 2025 with one of the city's most disruptive industrial conflicts still unresolved.
