00:00The bin strike has turned into a flashpoint for Birmingham.
00:06Piles of rubbish have built up and now concerns are growing that it's creating the perfect cover for illegal dumping.
00:14The council says rogue traders are knocking on doors offering to take people's waste for a fee,
00:20but then dumping it in alleyways, parks or on street corners.
00:24The city's warning is clear, this is fly-tipping and it's a criminal offence.
00:29Officials say they're collecting evidence and will take a zero-tolerance approach.
00:34But the strike itself is still the root of the wider issue.
00:38It started after plans to scrap a job role the union says is safe to critical.
00:43The council says that role has been absorbed elsewhere with no pay cuts and every worker offered the same grade.
00:51Talks have been stop-start since January, but with a full walkout now in place, the dispute is escalating.
00:58Things have become tense. The council says some workers are obstructing bin lorries and intimidating staff trying to work.
01:06That, they argue, is slowing collections down even more.
01:10United denies the claims, saying its members are striking peacefully and acting within the law.
01:16As the blame game continues, residents are left dealing with the fallout, overflowing bins, rising vermin and growing frustration.
01:25The council says it wants to modernise services. The union says it's defending fair pay and safe conditions.
01:32Neither side is backing down.
01:34While both parties say they want to resolve the dispute, the city's waste continues to pile up,
01:40leaving Brummies stuck in the middle with no end in sight.
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