Rayner calls in the army over Birmingham bin strike as piles of rubbish grow
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailArmy specialists have been called in to help tackle the mounting piles of rubbish on Birmingham's streets amid a month-long bin strike.The all-out strike by refuse workers – which began on 11 March as part of a dispute over pay – has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected in the city.The city council declared a major incident on 31 March, citing public health concerns, as residents say they have spotted rats the size of cats scurrying through the streets in broad daylight and complained of an overwhelming stench as black bin bags pour onto the street.open image in galleryA month-long strike by refuse workers has left thousands of tonnes of rubbish piled up on the streets of Birmingham (PA)The worsening situation has now prompted the government to call in military planners to help tackle the crisis.The move will see a small number of office-based planners assigned to provide temporary logistical support for the council, rather than soldiers being deployed to collect rubbish.A government spokesperson said: “The government has already provided a number of staff to support the council with logistics and make sure the response on the ground is swift to address the associated public health risks.“In light of the ongoing public health risk, a small number of office-based military personnel with operational planning expertise have been made available to Birmingham City Council to further support in this area.open image in galleryBirmingham City Council has already appealed for help from neighbouring authorities amid the month-long strike (PA)“This builds on a range of measures we’ve supported the council on to date – including neighbouring authorities providing additional vehicles and crews, and opening household waste centres to Birmingham residents.”Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner urged members of the Unite union last week to accept an “improved” deal, while health secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had “escalated way out of hand”.But the dispute has further strained relations between Labour and Unite, with the union’s general secretary Sharon Graham speaking out against “the constant attacks and briefings against these low-paid bin workers”.She said: “It is important to reiterate the truth, as opposed to the lies being peddled in an attempt to distract.open image in galleryA further ballot on a deal to end the strike is expected to take place on Monday (Reuters)“This dispute is not about greed or increased pay. This dispute is about workers losing up to £8,000 of their pay – which for some is almost a quarter.”The council says only 17 workers will be affected, and they stand to lose far less than Unite has claimed.Ms Graham added that a partial deal on pay protection for some workers had already been agreed and urged the council to accept a wider offer the union had put forward.A further ballot on a deal to end the strike is expected to take place on Monday.
Comments (0)