Bin workers have “overwhelmingly” rejected a deal that would have ended the all-out strike in Birmingham that has caused bin bags to pile up in the streets and an influx of rats in the city.
Negotiations between the council and Unite, which is representing the striking workers, have stalled for months, and refuse workers have been on indefinite strike since 11 March.
On Monday, workers were balloted on a “partial deal on pay protection for a few”, according to the Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham.
Workers voted overwhelmingly to reject the deal, the union said, describing it as a “totally inadequate” offer that still included substantial pay cuts. It said the offer also failed to address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.
Graham said: “The rejection of the offer is no surprise as these workers simply cannot afford to take pay cuts of this magnitude to pay the price for bad decision after bad decision.”
She called on the government to intervene and bring stakeholders together to end the strike, as well as “urgently consider Unite’s proposal for debt restructure at Birmingham city council and other local authorities”.
“Unite has set out simple and reasonable steps to the council to resolve these issues. It is important to remember that this dispute is not about a pay rise, it is about preventing serious pay cuts,” she said.
Wendy Morton, a Conservative MP whose Aldridge-Brownhills constituency is in the Walsall borough, said rats in Birmingham, which she referred to as “squeaky blinders”, “must be dancing in the streets”.
She said: “This really shows yet again Labour-led Birmingham council and this Labour government are failing residents and our region. They need to get a grip, stop blaming others, and face the unions – their paymasters.”
Earlier on Monday, the government said military personnel with “operational planning expertise” had been brought in to help the council clear rubbish from the streets.
Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, said: “There’s no boots on the ground, let me be very clear. We’ve deployed a couple of army logistics to help with the logistical operation of clearing up the rubbish.
“We’ve got over two-thirds of the rubbish cleared off the streets now … I’m very pleased about that. The kids are off school, obviously it’s Easter holidays, we want that rubbish cleared.”
In March, the Labour-run Birmingham city council declared a major incident after 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish were left on the streets, with striking workers being blamed for holding up bin lorries on the picket line.
The council said 1,500 tonnes of waste a day were now being cleared, with about 100-120 refuse collection vehicles out every day, prioritising 15 of the worst-affected wards.
The dispute centres on the council’s decision to cut a role from its waste service, which the union says will leave a number of workers with an £8,000-a-year pay cut.
The council has repeatedly disputed this figure and said only 17 workers would be affected. It also said all workers had been offered alternative jobs on the same pay grade in other areas of the council, as well as the opportunity to train to become a driver.
A spokesperson for Birmingham city council said: “It is incredibly disappointing that despite several weeks of extensive negotiations, Unite have rejected a second offer of settlement. However, our door remains open.
“The council must deliver improved waste services for our citizens, who simply deserve better. We must also guard against future equal pay claims, and while we have sought throughout the negotiations to protect pay for individuals, Unite’s proposals focus solely on retaining a role that does not exist in other councils and represents an equal pay risk for Birmingham.”
