Bin lorries delayed by picket line, council says

Council chiefs have blamed "actions on the picket line" for delays to rubbish collections across Birmingham on Tuesday.

The city council warned residents there may be some disruption in the service in a message posted on X.

It said: "Due to actions on the picket line, there were some delays in waste wagons leaving some of our depots on Tuesday. This may affect the number of collections we are able to make. If today is your collection day, please leave your bins out, and we will collect asap."

A spokesperson for Unite, which represents the striking bin workers, said its members "engaged in peaceful and lawful picketing".

It comes after the BBC was informed talks to resolve Birmingham's bin strike had broken down completely and some bin lorry drivers were now at risk of compulsory redundancy.

Conciliation service Acas had been mediating in the negotiations since May, but the council has now reportedly walked away.

Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton said the authority had "reached the absolute limit" of what it could offer in talks with the union.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham claimed the council had resorted to a "fire and rehire" strategy, which she said would not work.

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