Birmingham City Council leader on election hopes amid bins strike turmoil

The local elections in May will see all 101 council seats in Birmingham contested, which means they will decide which party or coalition runs the city council for the next four years.

One issue set to be a major talking point on campaign trails across Brum is the ongoing bins strike, which is now in its second year following a dispute between the council and Unite the union.

With the industrial action still rumbling on and waste services such as recycling still suspended, Unite members recently warned that the Labour administration at the council could face being punished in the election if the strike is not resolved soon.

Unite organiser Claire Peden, 42, said: “We know councillors are up for election in May and they know themselves it’s going to have a massive impact on their ability to be elected or re-elected.

“This is a message to all political parties – if you come for our members, we will fight back no matter what colour rosette you wear.”

Fellow Unite organiser Michael Agboh-Davison, 49, added: “If we get into the election period in May and this is still going on, I think the effect on Birmingham Labour will be apocalyptic.”

But council leader and Labour councillor John Cotton appeared optimistic about the elections while speaking to the media this week about the proposed budget for the next financial year.

He was asked whether he was confident that Labour candidates in Brum can convince people on the doorstep to vote for the party when, near their front door, is likely a recycling bin that hasn’t been collected for around a year.

“I’m having lots of conversations on doorsteps in my own patch and across the city,” Coun Cotton responded.

“And I think people do understand that we’ve had to do some difficult things to turn the council around and they understand that if you’re in power, you sometimes have to take tough decisions.

“You take those decisions because you know it’s the right thing to do for the long-term stability of the council.

“We are now in a position where we’re able to say having done that hard work, we’re now able to look to the future and look at how we collaborate with a Labour Mayor and Labour government that’s committed to turning around the legacy of austerity.”

Asked what Birmingham Labour’s message will be to voters in the build-up to May, he said: “It also needs to be about the great opportunities here in this city.

“We are the youngest and most diverse city in the country.

“We know we’ve got problems when it comes to unemployment, too many people still feel locked out of growth in this city.

“That’s the bit we’re going to now focus on fixing, creating those pathways to those jobs in the growth industries – whether it’s life sciences, creative industries, advanced manufacturing.

“Great days ahead if we seize them and work together at all levels of government – and also with businesses and communities in this city.”

The bins strike dispute was initially sparked by the loss of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer role.

The past 12 months or so have seen striking workers claim they face a pay cut of £8,000 – a figure the council has disputed.

The council has insisted a fair offer had been made before negotiations came to an end last summer, with the authority saying it had ‘reached the absolute limit of what we can offer’ amid equal pay fears.

Unite meanwhile claims that a “ballpark” deal had been agreed last year after hours of discussions but added this figure could not get past government-appointed commissioners.

The union also claimed a new offer was much lower compared to the “ballpark” figure and therefore couldn’t be accepted.

Addressing the strike at a recent meeting, Coun Cotton said: “[Bringing this dispute to a close] has to be done on the basis of not reopening this council’s equal pay liabilities, and delivering a modern waste service.

“Those points are non-negotiable – we are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

The council’s previously delayed transformation of the waste service, which includes the return of recycling collections, is set to be rolled out across the city from June this year – regardless of whether the strike is still happening or not.

Asked this week whether residents could potentially have to wait until the summer to see a possible end to the bins strike, Coun Cotton said: “I would want to find a solution to this as soon as possible.

“But I think to put timelines on it would be a foolish thing to do frankly.

“I’m absolutely committed to finding a resolution to this.”