Birmingham bin workers threaten to strike until September with some fearing walkouts could go onto CHRISTMAS
BIN workers in Birmingham are threatening to continue striking for months — leaving fed-up locals to face a summer of stench.
Refuse staff are understood to have signed a ballot to carry on industrial action until September unless demands are met, with some believing it may be ongoing at Christmas.
Locals fear growing mountains of rubbish could be left to rot during the hottest months, attracting more rats and flies and spreading disease.
After talks broke down this week, picketing bin worker Maxine Stanley, 54, said she does not expect a resolution before Christmas.
She told The Sun: “I can’t see it ending any time soon. I’m looking at Christmas, I am. There’s no chance.
“These commissioners don’t care about Birmingham or the public.
“We will be out here every day if it comes to it. We’ve got to stand together and that’s what we’ll do.”
The strike has been running for more than five weeks.
Workers are angry at Birmingham City Council’s decision to axe the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer role, which the union claims will leave many worse off.
Striking binman Steeven Biset, 32, is not hopeful of an agreement before summer.
Speaking from the picket line at the Atlas Depot in Tyseley, he said: “It’s almost like no side wants to come to a resolution.
“All we want is our money to be protected and our jobs to be protected.”
Fellow striker Paul Jackson, 60, said from the Perry Barr refuse centre: “We will keep going for as long as it takes.”
As a mini-heatwave is forecast for the end of April, locals fear their neighbourhoods will be infested with flies and rodents.
Rubbish decomposes faster and releases stronger odours in warmer temperatures, which will be a breeding ground for maggots.
One local, dad-of-three Javed Akhtar, 62, of Acocks Green, said: “I’m really worried about how long this will go on for.
“The council needs to sort it out, otherwise people will get ill.”
Describing the state of the streets as “embarrassing”, he added: “Usually this sort of thing only happens in poorer countries.
“It shouldn’t be happening in the UK.”
Barber Muhammad Umar, 35, said the potential for months of continuing strike action is “very worrying”.
The dad of two, from Yardley, added: “It’s the council’s mess, they need to sort it out.
“Bin collections are a basic right and we pay for it. It’s not like we’re getting it for free. We’re paying our taxes.”
He added: “There’s kids playing out in the streets where there’s rats running around. What kind of diseases are they at risk of? It’s not healthy for anyone.”
Shopkeeper Rishab Kahn, 72, said rubbish has been blocking the pavements in Balsall Heath for two weeks.
He fumed: “It’s disgusting, it’s quite smelly now. It’s nice weather and it’s going bad.”
During the strike, the council has been parking bin trucks at fixed locations for a morning, so people can take along their rubbish.
It insists it is on track to clear the pile-up, with crews picking up 21,588 tonnes of rotting refuse this month.
Council leader Cllr John Cotton said workers were presented with a “fair and reasonable offer that means no one has to lose any pay”.
Negotiations are on hold until Wednesday, with the union accusing council chiefs of “telling untruths” over the pay offers.