Trash continues to choke Birmingham’s streets as the Birmingham garbage strike enters its fifth week with no resolution. Garbage truck workers, represented by the Unite union, began striking on March 11 over job cuts and reduced pay.
Residents now live among rotting trash bags, discarded furniture, and burned rubbish, with some rats reportedly the size of domestic cats. Birmingham City Council, facing bankruptcy from a historic pay discrimination settlement, has slashed its budget by £300 million over two years.
The Labour-run council says it can only afford legally mandated services, including waste collection while eliminating redundant positions. Talks between Unite and the city council stalled again Monday, though both sides described discussions as productive and planned to meet Tuesday.
Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister, said the national government urged both parties to resolve the strike and minimize disruption. Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake called the situation “a national embarrassment” and warned of a public health emergency with rising temperatures.
In a rare move, Lichfield District Council deployed crews to Birmingham starting Wednesday to help clear the 1,000 tons of weekly waste. Lichfield Council Leader Doug Pullen emphasized that the cleanup would happen at a commercial rate to protect Lichfield taxpayers from footing the bill.
Pullen criticized Birmingham’s Labour-led leadership, saying his council is clearing up Labour’s mess while protecting Lichfield’s local services. Drone footage captured traffic backed up for miles at mobile dump sites, with residents desperate to remove mounting trash.
Birmingham set up temporary collection points across the city, but queues stretched for hours, especially in areas like Bartley Green. Some residents have resorted to using relatives’ bins or making online bookings to dispose of household waste at local depots.
Despite ongoing picketing, over 20 bin lorries operated over the weekend, and striking workers no longer block vehicles from leaving depots. City leaders and union reps insist they want to end the Birmingham garbage strike, though details remain behind closed doors.
