Birmingham bin strike: Council deal to end dispute accepted by union

Bin workers in Birmingham who were involved in a three-month strike have agreed a deal with the city council.

Unite's Howard Beckett said it was a "victory for common sense" and meant the industrial action was over.

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

The deal put forward by the council sees 106 staff remain on their current wages but in new recycling roles.

The strikes led to thousands of tonnes of rubbish left piled up on the city's streets.

Why did refuse workers strike in Birmingham?

Mr Beckett, Unite assistant general secretary, said it would no longer be taking the council to the High Court on Monday and a "court order was expected to legally cement the agreement".

A judge granted an interim injunction against the council in September and a trial was to determine if the council acted unlawfully.

The council has agreed to pay Unite's legal costs, Mr Beckett said.

"This deal secures the grade three role and protects the pay of workers who faced losing thousands of pounds," he said.

He added it was also a "victory" for residents "who no longer need worry about the disruption of industrial action".

Ian Ward, leader of the Labour-run council, said the deal had been achieved through "quiet, open and honest dialogue", adding neither the council or Unite wanted things to escalate the way they did.

"This has always been about providing an efficient and effective refuse collection service for Birmingham, as that is what citizens rightly expect and deserve from us," he said.

His predecessor, John Clancy resigned in September after criticism of his handling of the dispute.

Mr Ward said the disruption had been "completely unacceptable" for residents

The deal creates new waste reduction and collection officer roles who will be on bin lorries, focusing on recycling to help "engage and educate" residents.

Sending less waste to landfill and increasing recycling by 10% is expected to save £1.6m a year.

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