Birmingham Labour and Conservative councillors clash over ‘delusional assessment’ of engagement with trade unions

The Birmingham bins strike, which has dragged on since January and brought misery for residents, was triggered by a long-running dispute between the city council and Unite the union.

Tensions, initially over the loss of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer role, have boiled over in recent months leading to furious outbursts during council meetings.

But despite the turmoil, a council document has revealed that the Labour-run authority has rated its ‘Industrial Relations Transformation’ programme as green – a positive assessment which means it’s on track to be delivered.

Conservative councillor Robert Alden described this as “delusional” amid the current strike, while a Labour cabinet member hit back by calling his remarks “flippant” and “trite”.

“We currently have a year-long strike in the city,” Coun Alden, leader of the opposition, argued at a meeting this week.

“The general secretary of one of the biggest unions in the country is calling out the political leadership of this council every week in the press.

“There are protests at every council meeting.

“There is no realistic way we should be considering industrial relations to be green in this city.”

Coun Rob Pocock, the Labour cabinet member overseeing transformation, claimed that the leader of the opposition’s remarks may be “somewhat disingenuous”.

“[The assessment] refers to our industrial relations policies which are substantially improved,” he said.

“We have agreements with trade unions that the way we proceed and engage [with them] is significantly better than it was.

“That does not prevent the rights of a trade union to take an industrial dispute and the right of this council to resist that dispute if we think that’s right – that is good industrial relations.”

Coun Pocock continued that trade unions are “allies of a good, performing organisation”.

“The fact we’ve reached a framework agreement with trade unions [on equal pay] is a testimony to the fact that notwithstanding there are disputes in particular areas, we can build a relationship with our trade unions,” he said.

“So I think it’s maybe a flippant and rather trite point that Coun Alden has raised there.”

Council leader John Cotton added: “I would just observe that one union does not the entirety of recognised unions make.”

The industrial action left mountains of rubbish on street corners during the height of the strike, with images of the waste heaps attracting attention from across the world.

The strike has also cost the crisis-hit council at least £14 million and seen recycling rates in the city plummet.

Striking workers have raised concerns about pay during the industrial action, while the council’s leadership has repeatedly insisted that a “fair and reasonable” offer had been made.