Why Birmingham's bin strikes keep dragging on

Local TV

Birmingham’s bin strike has dragged on for six months, with recycling and garden waste suspended. The row over pay cuts shows no sign of ending, leaving rubbish piling up and residents caught in the middle.

Transcript

00:00Overflowing bins aren't just an eyesore, they're a daily reminder of a dispute that has stretched

00:06for half a year, with no end in sight. At the heart of it is money. How much crews stand

00:12to lose if a pie premium known as the WRCO is axed? The union claims dozens of workers

00:18face cuts worth thousands of pounds. The council counters that only a small group are affected,

00:24and by far less. That clash of figures has hardened into a stalemite. While the arguments

00:30continue, the consequences are felt on Birmingham streets. General waste is still being collected

00:36where possible, but recycling and garden waste remain suspended. For many households, that means

00:42months without the services they pay for. Residents are adapting in different ways, some storing extra

00:48bags indoors, some making repeated trips to household tips, and others forced to watch

00:53rubbish pile up outside their homes. It shows how fragile bicycle services become when disputes

00:59aren't resolved quickly. This is more than inconvenience, it's a public health risk. Rotting waste attracts

01:07rats and floys. It also divides neighbourhoods, with some streets cleared and others left untouched.

01:13That uneven patchwork adds to the sense of neglect and fuels resentment. The council says it has to

01:19protect itself from more costly equal pay claims. The union says it is simply defending wages and respect

01:26at work. Both sides have dug in deeper, but the longer it lasts, the more trust in the system is worn away.

01:33For the people left with the stench, the fine detail of the dispute matters less than one blunt fact.

01:40Their bins are still full and nothing is charging fast.

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