Talks over Birmingham’s bin strike have broken down with the council leader saying the authority was “walking away”.
Conciliation service Acas had been mediating between Unite union members and the city council since May, but now leader John Cotton has said the authority had “reached the absolute limit” of what it could offer.
Mountains of rubbish have been seen across the city, since bin collection workers walked out in January, with an all-out strike going on since March.
Cotton said the council had negotiated in good faith but the union had rejected all offers and the authority must now “press ahead to both address our equal pay risk and make much needed improvements to the waste service.”
He also announced it would mean waste service staff jobs would be axed, with as voluntary redundancy options remaining on the table, as well as “opportunities for training and redeployment across the council.”
The union began its strike, claiming 170 workers would face losing up to £8,000 a year due to the council’s decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.
However, the authority maintains that far fewer workers would see their annual pay reduced.
