Unite hopes introductory meeting with city council on bins will 'open doors' for discussions

Unite the union's telling us it hopes an introductory meeting with the city council on the bin strikes will 'open doors' for future discussions.

Unite officers are due to meet with senior council management today to discuss the ongoing dispute over plans to cut a 'safety critical' role.

Zoe Mayou's from Unite - she says bin workers are more determined than ever to have their voices heard:

"The resolve has grown from our guys because we now know definitely that this is going to impact drivers, that they're at risk of being downgraded.

"It could impact how the loaders do their role. It impacts the whole service."

She tells us bin workers feel frustrated with how the council have approached the planned changes.

"We want to work together to make this service really good.

"But the council don't seem to want to do that. They want to impose their ideas, with little evidence of whether they work or not," she says.

"It's a very top-down rather than bottom-up approach."

A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said:

“This escalation of industrial action will mean greater disruption to residents - despite the fair and reasonable offer that the council made to Unite the Union. To the small number of workers whose wages are impacted ongoing by the changes to the service (of whom there are now only 40) we have already offered alternatives, including highly valuable LGV Driver Training for career progression and pay, and other roles in the council equivalent to their former roles. No worker will lose the sums Unite are claiming.

"Residents of Birmingham want and deserve a better waste collection service and the restructure that Unite is opposing is part of the much-needed transformation of the service.

"Our door is still open, and we would encourage Unite to come back to the table.

“We thank residents for their continued understanding and patience so far and will continue to provide up-to-date information about our plans during the industrial action.”

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