Bin lorry blocking row sends council back to court

A row over bin lorries amid ongoing strike action has sent Birmingham City Council back to court

Birmingham City Council has applied for contempt of court proceedings against the Unite union over striking bin workers blocking refuse collection vehicles.

The council has claimed it has "persistent evidence" of a breach of a court order previously agreed with the union to stem such practice which, it states, poses a risk to safety.

Union members have been on all-out strike since March in a dispute over pay and proposed changes to some job roles.

A spokesperson for Unite said: "The court application is the latest distraction from the real task of resolving the ongoing dispute."

Unite also said that since the council's court application, it had worked with its members and reps to "ensure that there has been compliance with the court order".

The council first highlighted in April that refuse collection vehicles were being held up at some depots. That continued in May, with striking workers stating they were only stopping lorries if they had safety concerns.

But the council complained of "violent" scenes, and said lorries were being prevented from doing their jobs. A court injunction was granted at the end of that month.

On Thursday evening, a city council spokesperson said the authority supported the right to peaceful protest and picketing which the latest court application did not restrict. They added the fresh legal steps were about ordering Unite to ensure industrial action was carried out safely and legally, in line with the original injunction.

"Our injunction prevents the blocking of our refuse collection vehicles, both at our depots and on the streets," the spokesperson stated.

"Despite writing repeatedly to Unite for several weeks to highlight what we believe to be clear breaches of the injunction, the situation has worsened."

"Since the injunction was granted, vehicles have been blockaded on roads to and from our depots, with Unite representatives and members stepping in front of, and even leaning against, moving heavy vehicles and blocking road junctions.

"This is dangerous and a serious health and safety risk for the public, the protesters and our workers as well as causing delays to waste collections and to traffic around the city."