Speaking from the Perry Barr Depot in Birmingham, striking refuse worker Mike Masters defended the industrial action — despite the mountains of rubbish piling up on the city streets
A defiant refuse worker has stressed a city’s controversial bin strike will continue for as long as it is needed.
The industrial action in Birmingham has now entered its second year and, although mountains of rubbish are piling up on the city streets, change appears unlikely. Rats have started swarming roads as they loot discarded food waste dumped on pavements.
But Mike Masters, a striking bin lorry driver, has insisted the feeling among colleagues remains strong, even though some have had to rely on foodbanks in recent months. The 55-year-old man said: “We went back to the picket lines yesterday and we’re still fighting. We’re hoping to achieve what we first set out to last year. The real issue is they wanted to restructure the waste service.”
The proposed restructuring will mean refuse collectors in Birmingham could each lose up to £8,000 each year, it is understood. Mr Masters’ stance is supported by union Unite, which said in a statement: “Our members resolve remains rock solid in the face of the council’s attempt to scapegoat and punish them for the mess politicians have made in Birmingham. There will be no end to the strikes, until there’s a fair deal for Birmingham’s bin workers.”
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Some agency workers who were drafted in also walked out on strike last month, leaving piles of rubbish littering the pavements in the city. Grim photographs taken yesterday show heaps of full bin bags in the Small Heath, Saltley and Bordesley Green neighbourhoods of the city. Cardboard boxes, used gas cannisters and bin strike merchandise were among the dumped waste.
But family man Mr Masters, who has 11 grandchildren, continued to defend the industrial action. He added yesterday: “We started out fighting Birmingham City Council. Being more experienced now, I think it’s more than fighting the council. It’s against the government. Because of my age, I remember Thatcherism. They want to lose the unions – if we lose them it will sound the toll bells.
“The locals have been very resilient, but that’s how a lot of them are. A lot of the people on the picket line live in Birmingham, so they are affected by the issues. I don’t think an end is in sight. The only thing we can do is stand there and carry on and hope the residents are with us. Something has to give.”
Some of the man’s colleagues are using foodbanks and made cuts at Christmas, in order to continue their movement. Mr Masters continued: “We’ve got some guys and girls who are having to visit foodbanks, and these are working people. Christmas has come and gone, everybody pulled together and made sure everyone came through.”
Councillor Majid Mahmood, the council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, called for Unite to come back with a “constructive suggestion” that the council could work with to bring staff back into work.
“We’ve been negotiating with Unite now for 12 months and we’ve made multiple offers, fair and reasonable offers to Unite, all of which have been rejected,” he said.
