Why are Birmingham's bin workers on strike?

Rubbish bags have been piling up on the streets around Birmingham for weeks

If you live in the Birmingham area you will know all about the rubbish that has been piling up on the streets recently.

But if you are not local, here is a guide to explain why the bins aren't being collected, what the local authorities are doing about it and when it might end.

Have you been affected by the bin workers strike? Let us know using the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Why is there rubbish on the streets?

In the UK, local councils arrange for bin workers to come every week to collect rubbish and recycling which people place in designated areas or outside their homes.

But in Birmingham, in the Midlands, people's rubbish bins have not been collected regularly since January.

This is due to the workers being on strike - which is when workers come together and agree not to do their job because they feel unhappy with the way they are treated or paid.

The union group who represent the bin workers, Unite, say the local council have decided to make changes to their services, which will reduce the workers pay by up to £8,000 per year for up to 170 employees.

The local council dispute this and say the changes will only affect around 17 people and the maximum they will lose is £6,000 per year.

Where are people taking their rubbish?

Piles of rubbish are causing hygiene and litter problems around residential areas

The council have told people to still keep putting their household waste out on normal collection days but recycling waste will not be collected at the moment.

However, many people are taking their rubbish to mobile collection points where they can dispose of bin bags safely, but this is leading to huge queues of cars waiting to drop off rubbish.

Lots of people are leaving their rubbish in piles on the streets in the hope they will be collected by temporary workers.

But this is leading to bad smells in those areas and there have been reports of rat infestations, with many locals worried the problem will only get worse.

What are the local authorities doing about it, and when might the bin collections go back to normal?

People have been taking their rubbish to mobile waste collection points around the city

Birmingham City Council declared a major incident on 31 March, which means they have been able to access more money to pay for street cleaning crews and fly-tipping removal workers.

The council and the union representing the workers have been in formal talks to try and come to an agreement on how to move forward and end the strikes.

But the majority of the workers rejected the council's latest offer so no agreement could be reached.

Birmingham City Council says it is on track to clear a backlog of uncollected waste by the weekend.

But things probably won't be back to normal for a while due to the disagreements between the Unite union and the council.