The long-running Birmingham bin strikes could last another six months at least, a trade union has warned.
Unite said workers had voted to extend a mandate for industrial action to March 2026 – a year after an “all-out indefinite strike” was first called.
Birmingham Council declared a major incident this March after 17,000 tonnes of waste lay uncollected as refuse workers walked out over pay.
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said this week: “Strike action will continue for as long as necessary with Unite’s unyielding support.
“The only way this dispute will end is with a fair and reasonable deal for Birmingham’s bin workers.”
The council said in May that it was “making every effort” to resume recycling collections as the dispute impacting waste services rumbled on. It confirmed this week that recyclables were still not being collected in the city.
A spokesperson for the local authority added: “This is a service that needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve and we cannot delay this any longer.
“The council sought to be reasonable and flexible throughout this process, but Unite rejected all our offers. We want to resolve this dispute but we need to press ahead with the improvement of the service.”
