Birmingham bin workers' strike 'within sight' of resolution after 14 months

An end to the bitter 14-month-long dispute by bin workers in Birmingham is "within sight", the city's Labour council leader has claimed. Unite the Union members have been taking action since January last year, with an all-out strike launched in March, leaving rubbish piled on streets and residents with no recycling service. Authority leader John Cotton said after months of "frustration and delay" he believed a new offer could now be made, which Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said was a "vindication" for striking workers. However, opposition parties accused the administration of a "stunt" ahead of next Thursday's council elections and said they were playing "political games". The dispute initially centred on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles, which it insisted was necessary to make improvements. The union claimed about 170 affected workers faced losing up to £8,000 a year but the council disputed those figures. Cotton said negotiations had been "challenging and complex," but an improved offer could be made, addressing issues discussed at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) last year. "A deal that would be good for the workforce, represent good value for money and would not repeat the mistakes of the past and risk creating new structural equal pay liabilities," he said. The striking workers were praised by their union for getting a deal back on the table. The full details will stay confidential while they wait for the detailed offer from the city council, Unite said, adding it would have to be voted on by the workers. Graham said the offer was a "vindication of the bin workers' struggle for a decent deal". "I salute the fortitude of my members who have needlessly been forced to endure months of attacks and hardship to get us to this point," she added. £16k compensation The union claimed the reason the offer had not yet been completed was down to government-appointed commissioners, who had been employed to help the council balance the books. Onay Kasab, Unite national lead officer said the offer would include compensation of £16,000 for workers. Previous offers did not include compensation for drivers, Kasab said, and this change helped bring the dispute close to a conclusion. The announcement marked a "significant moment" in the long-running saga that has caused so much disruption, but is far from over, said BBC Birmingham's political reporter Kathryn Stanczyszyn. The Labour administration said they have the framework of a deal that could end the strike and will instruct officers to move ahead if they are still in power after the local election. Labour currently holds 65 of 101 seats which could significantly change after polling day, on 7 May, when all seats are being contested. 'Political games' Moments after Cotton spoke publicly outside the Council House, the opposition parties were quick to condemn the timing of the announcement which comes 10 days before voters in Birmingham go to the polls. The city's Conservative group leader, Robert Alden, said Labour had put its political interests ahead of residents, calling it an "election stunt". "If Labour had a lawful deal, they would already have put it to the council to agree months ago," he said. A Reform UK spokesperson said the authority had come back to the same deal which it rejected last year and "nothing has changed except the election timetable". The leader of the Green Party, councillor Julien Pritchard, accused Labour of playing "political games". "Labour could have resolved this strike months ago, saving misery and millions of pounds," he said. Liberal Democrat leader, Roger Harmer, echoed criticism by other parties, calling the move "nothing short of a cynical pre-election ploy by a Labour Party heading for a massive defeat". New fortnightly collections Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Related internet links