Birmingham bin strike: Two strikes called off after new offer

Unite says workers will stage fresh walkouts for two days a week from later this month

Planned strike action by bin workers in Birmingham has been called off.

Unite said its members had unanimously agreed Birmingham City Council's latest offer, suspending the strike action on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Workers started a series of walkouts over "secret payments" made to non-striking GMB staff after a dispute in 2017.

As part of the offer, which goes before cabinet on Friday, workers would receive payments of £3,500.

Council leader Ian Ward said on Friday when details of the new offer emerged that a sum of £3,000 was previously in a cabinet report and there was a figure of £500 "to end all litigation and all disputes that are currently under way" between Unite and the authority.

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Mr Ward said there was "a determination on all sides that we'll move forward" to deliver a service that people "deserve".

Temporary arrangements, including fortnightly collections, remain in place.