The all-out strike in Birmingham which began on March 11 as part of a dispute over pay, has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected and warnings of a public health emergency.
Specialists from the military have been called in to try and tackle mounting piles of rubbish Birmingham amid a bin strike.
The all-out strike, which began on March 11 as part of a dispute over pay, has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected and warnings of a public health emergency. A Government spokesperson said the decision to call in military planners was “in light of the ongoing public health risk”.
The spokesperson said the deployment would consist of a “small number of office-based military personnel with operation planning expertise”. Birmingham City Council had already appealed to neighbouring authorities for assistance.
The military officers are not being deployed to collect rubbish. The move will see a small number of planners assigned to provide temporary logistical support for a short period.
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. 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.”
Refuse workers in the Unite union walked out on March 11. This has led to siginificant public health concerns as rubbish piled up on the second city’s streets. Last week, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner urged members of the Unite union to accept an “improved” deal while health secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had “escalated way out of hand”.
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. 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 much 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.
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