Bin strike deal still awaits sign-off after 18 months

More than 18 months after Birmingham's bin workers began an all-out strike, residents are still waiting for confirmation that a deal to end the dispute has been agreed.

The council leader, Councillor Roger Harmer, said in early September that a proposal could go to the council's cabinet in late September or early October. He stressed that this would not mean the strike was over, but that the deal would be moving to the next stage of approval.

How a deal would be agreed

Any agreement must first be approved by the council's cabinet. Members of the Unite union would then need to vote to accept it before the dispute could formally end. Councillor Harmer has said negotiations are being conducted in confidence.

How the dispute began

Unite members began strike action in January 2025 and moved to an all-out strike on 11 March 2025. The dispute centres on the council's decision to abolish the role of Waste Recycling and Collection Officer as part of a restructure of the waste service. Unite says the change exposed some members to pay cuts of up to 8,000 pounds a year.

The council has said the changes were necessary to deal with equal pay liabilities and to modernise the service, and that it had offered alternative roles and training to affected staff.

The impact

The strike has had a huge impact on the city. In the spring of 2025 the council declared a major incident as thousands of tonnes of rubbish piled up in streets, and the Government sent in specialists from the armed forces to help with logistics. Residents reported problems with rats and foxes, and collections have been disrupted for months, although the council has run a reduced service with agency staff.

The council reported that the strike had cost 33.4 million pounds by January 2026.

A political issue

The dispute became a major issue in May's council elections, when Labour lost control of the council after more than a decade. Councillor Harmer, who became leader in June, said settling the strike was his first priority, and he criticised the previous administration's approach after it emerged that a plan to dismiss workers had been prepared.

What residents can do

Residents can check their collection days and report missed collections on the council's website. The council's household recycling centres remain open for bulky waste and recycling, and the council asks people not to leave rubbish out on the street outside collection days.

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and can be reported to the council. Residents should also make sure that anyone they pay to take away rubbish is a licensed waste carrier.

Pilot schemes

The council has been piloting new collection arrangements in some areas, and says one pilot has cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1,750 cars a year.

What happens next

If the cabinet approves a deal, Unite will ask its members to vote on it. Residents will be told about any changes to collections once an agreement is in place.

Equal pay

The dispute is closely linked to the council's equal pay problems. Claims that women in some council jobs were paid less than men in comparable roles, including some bin collection roles, contributed to the financial crisis that led the council to issue section 114 notices in 2023. The council has said changes to waste roles were needed to avoid creating new equal pay liabilities.