Birmingham bin worker slams Rachel Reeves’s ‘disgusting’ comments about ongoing strikes
Remarks made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves have been described as “disgusting” by one of Birmingham’s striking bin workers.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked about the bins strike while visiting the region last week to tour a warehouse in Hams Hall, North Warwickshire.
The strike, triggered by a dispute between the Labour-run city council and Unite the union, has already dragged into its second year, with workers recently voting to extend industrial action into September.
“It is incredibly frustrating, most of all for the people that live in Birmingham and the businesses in Birmingham who are still not getting a proper service,” Rachel Reeves told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“I would urge Unite the union to call off these strikes – it’s having a damaging impact on the reputation of the city of Birmingham and it’s a real nightmare for people living there.”
The Labour government minister continued that the “ball is in [Unite’s] court”, adding: “I do not support the extension of strikes. They need to get back to work and deliver for local people.”
These comments prompted a furious response from bin worker Matthew Reid during a demonstration in Broad Street on Tuesday evening, February 17.
“That’s shocking that a Labour cabinet member is speaking like that,” he said. “Labour were a party built by workers, for workers.
“For a MP to say that striking workers should get back to work and stop their legal industrial action is disgusting.”
He also issued a message to the current administration at the city council, saying: “Start acting like a Labour council.
“Start acting like a Labour government. They talk like Labour but they don’t act like Labour.”
Mr Reid also again urged the council to restart negotiations with Unite and said Unite members were prepared to continue the strike for several more months at least.
“A fair and reasonable deal needs to be agreed by both sides – one side can’t just make an offer and say it’s fair and reasonable,” he said.
“We all have rents and mortgages to pay, life is going on while this strike is taking place.
“The last ballot was 100 per cent, that’s the strongest ballot we’ve had so far. We’re willing to carry on until the very end.”
‘It’s just not fair’
The bins strike dispute was initially sparked by the loss of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer role, with striking workers claiming 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, saying at the time it had ‘reached the absolute limit of what we can offer’ amid equal pay fears.
Rachel Reeves was asked last week whether the Labour government could intervene and take further action to try and find a resolution amid the bins strike deadlock.
“We work closely with Birmingham City Council,” she said. “There are red lines because of equal pay.
“It was equal pay challenges not addressed for years in Birmingham that led to the bankruptcy.
“It’s really important we learn lessons from that and it’s also right that work women traditionally do is valued in the same way that work that is typically done by men is.
“I think Unite the union do and should understand that but they do need to bring these fights to an end.
“It’s just not fair on council tax payers and people that live and work in the city.”
The bins strike saga was also recently raised during Prime Minister’s Questions, with Sir Keir Starmer saying: “We’re doing everything we can to resolve the situation, which absolutely needs resolving.”
Birmingham Council leader John Cotton recently said: “I want the workforce to be able to come back to work and work with us on the journey of improvement.
“But what we can’t do is settle this on the basis that Unite have been asking us to because that would literally upend all the work that’s been done to put this council back on an even keel.”
