Labour uses cops against Brum bin strike, unions must act

Birmingham refuse workers on strike outside the council (Photo: Alistair Wingate)

The Labour government has thrown down the gauntlet to the trade union movement in Birmingham. Birmingham council bosses are using the police to break an indefinite strike by bin workers fighting austerity.

Bosses sent cops to stop picket lines on Friday the day after a Labour minister visited the city and demanded the strike ends.

At the Atlas depot, two vans and around 12 police officers reportedly broke up the picket line and told workers not to picket the depot’s entrance. Police then erected barriers around the entrance, and forcibly dispersed strikers.

Police also dispersed pickets at Lifford Lane and Perry Barr.

Striker Steeven told Socialist Worker that the response was “definitely because of the pressure—since we upped the ante, the city has felt the brunt of it. I feel the council bosses have felt the effects of the strike.”

Around 350 Unite union workers have been on all-out strike for over three weeks. Birmingham council is slashing a safety critical role and has said it will issue compulsory redundancy notices.

Over 150 workers stand to lose anywhere from £2000 to £6000 a year—and are striking to defend jobs from Birmingham council’s cuts.

The strike has left mountains of rubbish lining the city’s streets.

Workers have been ‘slow-walking’ in front of lorries to protest the council’s use of scab agency labour. The strike has proved effective, with 17,000 tons of rubbish piled up.

But the Labour-run council has refused to say it will not slash jobs or attack workers’ pay. Rather than meet strikers demands, the council has declared a “major incident”, meaning it can use special powers to break strikes.

Steeven slammed Labour’s attack on workers. “It’s quite disgusting really—with a Labour Party, you’d think it would act with the working class in mind, but unfortunately it clearly doesn’t. 

“Of course, it isn’t just bins—Starmer has other agendas because of the all the cuts to different departments. It’s really bad—people voted them in to help our class but it’s having the opposite effect.”

In this case, police were sent to also ensure that bin lorries were actually leaving the depots. The declaration also means the council can recruit agency 35 vehicles and crews—using that sort of agency labour to break strike is usually illegal.

Keir Starmer has said the situation is “completely unacceptable”. On Thursday, Labour sent Jim McMahon, local government minister, to meet with the council.

“Residents want this rubbish dealt with as soon as possible and I have made it clear in today’s meeting that we’re ready to support to improve conditions on the ground,” he said.

“This strike must be brought to a close with all parties redoubling efforts to get around the table and to find a resolution.”

It is Labour, and its council that’s pushing austerity, that is to blame for the mountains of bin bags in Birmingham.

Unite is reportedly looking to mount a legal challenge to the council. But workers must continue strikes and not allow Labour’s attack to fragment the picket lines.

He added, “We will keep picketing outside the depots—just across the road, not directly outside. We are also going to the council house, but I feel like we probably just have to strategise and come up with other ideas.

“Any support helps us—and the public supports us because our job and others like it helps society function.”

A mass picket of the whole trade union movement in Birmingham outside the depots would be a show of strength and solidarity. The state has come after Palestine and climate activists, now it is coming for the trade unions.

It demands a response.