Union stages agency bin workers protest

Around 30 bin workers took part in the demonstration

Bin workers have staged a protest in Birmingham at the city council's use of agency workers.

Members of the Unite union walked out on an all-out strike almost six months ago in a dispute over pay and plans to downgrade some job roles.

About 30 members of the union demonstrated outside offices of an employment agency in the city, over claims the council has used it to keep services going during the strike.

The city council and the agency Job&Talent said the same number of agency workers were being employed as before the strike.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the employment agency had been "prolonging the dispute by providing agency labour to try and undermine the strike".

But she said: "It won't work – strikes will continue with Unite's full support until a fair deal is reached for these workers."

The council said it had explained on a number of occasions that its use of agency staff had not increased.

Talks to resolve the crisis recently broke down, with the city council stating it was "walking away" from negotiations last month.

The council said: "While we are disappointed the dispute has not been resolved as Unite has rejected all our offers, we are continuing to make regular waste collections as we prepare to implement the new and improved service."

It said its contingency plans were working and it had been collecting an average of about 1,330 tonnes of kerbside waste a day, more than it did before the industrial action.

It also said it had a new fleet of vehicles in use, with safety features including cameras to "boost visibility and protect both crews and the public".

In a statement, Job&Talent said: "All staffing practices related to the three refuse depots across Birmingham are fully compliant with all applicable legislation".

It added it was "open to constructive dialogue with all stakeholders" and said it would "continue to act responsibly in supporting both clients and workers throughout this period".