NEARLY 400 Birmingham refuse workers began indefinite strike action yesterday over the scrapping of the waste collection and recycling officer role (WRCO), which has impacted 150 of them with pay cuts of up to £8,000.
Removing the role affects the rest of the low paid workforce by leaving them without a fair path for pay progression.
There is also increasing concern amongst the entire workforce that the council is preparing to downgrade the pay of other non-management roles in the service.
Most Birmingham refuse workers are paid between £24,027 and £25,992 – just slightly more than the £23,795 workers on the minimum wage earn annually.
They have already voluntarily accepted cuts to pay and terms and conditions to assist the council after it declared bankruptcy. This included giving up £1,000 in shift pay.
Unite revealed that Birmingham council is wasting millions of pounds on costly employment agencies in the refuse service prior to strike action, with the costs now expected to be even higher.
Birmingham’s bin chaos could stretch into the summer after workers voted in favour of extending their strike mandate over the council’s use of temporary labour to undermine their industrial action.
Unite has warned Birmingham council and its employment agency Job&Talent that it is unlawful to provide labour to replace striking workers.
The union is calling on Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, which is part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to take action and stamp out illegality.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘The disgraceful use of unlawful labour to try and break the strike has just resulted in industrial action escalating.
‘The only way this dispute will end is by halting the brutal and unnecessary attacks on our members’ pay.’
