Birmingham bin strike: Council offers new deal to end dispute

Refuse workers went to the High Court in September when Unite took the authority to court

Bin workers in Birmingham involved in a summer-long strike have been offered a new deal, days before the dispute is due to go the High Court.

The pay row started in June when Unite claimed the city council's bid to "modernise" the service and save £5m a year threatened more than 100 staff.

The council's new plan would see 106 staff remain on their current wages but in new roles helping with recycling.

Unite is yet to accept the offer, made ahead of the hearing on Monday.

The union took the Labour-run council to the High Court, claiming the authority's plan to lose staff and change working patterns was unlawful.

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Residents were frustrated by rubbish being left to rot in the streets

A judge granted an interim injunction against the council in September which halted the strikes and a trial was scheduled to determine if the authority acted against the law.

If Unite accept the latest proposal at a meeting on Saturday, the dispute will effectively be over.

Why did refuse workers strike in Birmingham?

Under the proposal, the workers would still be on bin lorries, but will focus on recycling to "engage and educate" residents about how and what they throw away.

Workers started their strike on 30 June

If the workers help increase recycling rates in the city, which are relatively low, that will also save money, the council said.

Reducing residual waste - using less landfill - and increasing recycling by 10% a year will save £1.6m.

The authority also estimates £3m a year can be saved by changing workers' hours from a four-day week to a shorter five-day week - meaning less reliance on overtime and using agency staff.

Councillor Robert Alden, leader of the Conservative group, said the Labour administration was offering something "it previously ruled out" and was trying to avoid "having to air all their dirty laundry in public via the courts".

The strikes by the workers led to thousands of tonnes of rubbish left piled up on the city streets during the summer with the backlog taking weeks to clear.

Rubbish piles like this in Sparkhill, Birmingham, were common place as the bin workers went on strike over the summer