Birmingham's ongoing bin strikes could persist beyond next May's local elections, Unite the union has warned, following an "overwhelming" vote by workers to prolong their industrial action.
The dispute is set to escalate further as agency staff, employed by Job & Talent on the refuse contract, will now join directly employed Birmingham City Council workers on official picket lines from December 1.
Unite claimed a growing number of agency staff are refusing to cross the picket lines of striking bin workers because of “unsustainable” workloads.
This development, announced by Unite on Monday, signals an expansion of the industrial action.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a real escalation in the dispute with agency workers now joining picket lines due to the terrible way they have been treated by Job & Talent and Birmingham Council.
“Birmingham Council is spending a fortune it doesn’t have on a dispute that could easily be resolved by agreeing a fair deal for workers.
“Unite does what it says on the trade union tin – we are totally committed to fighting for the jobs, pay and conditions of all its members.
“Agency and directly employed workers alike in Birmingham Council’s refuse service have the union’s complete and utter support.”
Hundreds of members of Unite in Birmingham have been on an all-out strike since March in a dispute over pay and jobs.
