Crucial struggle to defend the dignity of labour: Third Megapicket Held to Support Birmingham Bin Workers
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Crucial struggle to defend the dignity of labour: Third Megapicket Held to
Support Birmingham Bin Workers
Volume 56 Number 3, February 7,
2026
ARCHIVE
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JBCENTRE
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Crucial struggle to
defend the dignity of labour
Third
Megapicket Held to Support Birmingham Bin Workers
On January 30, 2026, Birmingham witnessed its third megapicket in the
long-running bin workers' strike. The strike, which began in March 2025, was
sparked by Birmingham City Council's plans to cut pay and eliminate job roles,
affecting close to two hundred workers, who face annual pay reductions of up to
£8,000.
This third megapicket, organised by Strike Map, gathered thousands of union
members and supporters at major depots like Perry Barr, Tyseley, and
Smithfield, aiming to paralyse refuse services across the city. Musical
performances added to the atmosphere, creating a vibrant yet defiant mood among
the participants [1].
Speakers criticised the ostensibly Labour but commissioner-run council for
its refusal to engage constructively with strikers, reflecting the demand for a
return to negotiations. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP said:
"All we're asking you to do is get around the table and start
negotiations. These commissioners, they should've been sacked months ago. What
I find offensive is, you look at the pay cut they've tried to inflict, and then
how much they're earning on a daily basis. It's money most people couldn't
dream of, and yet they sit there trying to dictate how the city should be
run."
In the face of the workers' determination and wide support, the council is
increasingly turning to open police powers. Last May, the council obtained an
interim High Court injunction to prevent picketing that obstructed vehicles and
access, which was later extended indefinitely. In July, the council initiated
contempt of court proceedings against Unite for breaching the order. And on
October 12 the council returned to the High Court with further allegations of
violations, including protests obstructing depots and vehicles. What was not
said was that these actions by workers were a response to the council employing
agency work to undermine the strike, which is illegal.
Now, following the megapicket, the council sought a six-month injunction to
prohibit further unauthorised protests supporting the strikes, a move that drew
widespread condemnation. The injunction prohibits "unknown
individuals" from engaging in protest activities supporting Unite the
Union strikes without council consent. It forbids entering or obstructing
specific depots and blocking council vehicles. Lawful picketing and protests
that do not obstruct waste services remain permitted. Violations of the
injunction could lead to up to two years imprisonment, fines, or asset seizure
for contempt of court [2].
"This is an act of pure cowardice by Birmingham City Council, backed by
their unelected commissioners," Strike Map co-founder Henry Fowler said.
"This council's contempt for its own workforce and the people of
Birmingham could not be clearer."
"We and our supporters will not end our solidarity with Birmingham's
bin workers. You cannot ban solidarity," he added [3].
Reports from the council itself indicate that its intransigence, leading to
the drawn-out struggle, and its efforts to break the strike, had incurred an
estimated cost of £33.4 million, though Unite argues that £56 million
would be a more realistic figure [4]. Lost revenues from bulky and commercial
waste collections, alongside direct costs like street cleansing and mobile
waste services, could, as the union points out, be more effectively allocated
toward honouring previously negotiated agreements with the bin workers. Indeed,
according to Unite, a "ballpark" agreement had been negotiated at
ACAS earlier last year but was blocked by the council's commissioners.
The public authority in Birmingham has been systematically wrecked in recent
years, significantly including the effects of severe government funding cuts,
culminating in its alleged "bankruptcy" in August 2023, which served
as a pretext for placing a group of government-appointed commissioners in
control of the city's affairs. As Workers' Weekly pointed out [5], how a city
council can be declared financially bankrupt is the height of capital-centric
irrationality. The massive value created by the services it provides could not
be clearer as the effects of this strike unfold.
Rather, this so-called bankruptcy has been the excuse to appoint
commissioners representing private interests, in what amounts to a coup at the
level of local government. These commissioners were handed control of the
council by the previous government in October 2023, which appointed six
commissioners and two political advisors to oversee the council. The
commissioners effectively exercise control over the council via extensive
powers, to push through a "recovery" plan, which involves selling
assets, cutting services, and increasing council tax.
The strain of the ongoing strike, coupled with council inaction and the
punitive measures aimed at suppressing dissent, is causing lasting damage to
Birmingham, Britain's second largest city. As the bin workers and their allies
prepare for future actions, including possible additional megapickets, the
steadfast commitment to fighting for their claim, the dignity of their labour,
and defending their conditions remains clear. The demand of all in Birmingham,
as the strike approaches its second anniversary, is that the dispute must be
resolved. The bin workers are determined not to be marginalised. Enough Is
Enough!
Notes
1. "Birmingham bin strike megapicket live as city collections axed",
James Cartledge, Harry Leach, Birmingham Mail, January 30, 2026
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmimgham-bin-strike-megapicket-live-33326270
2. "Waste Injunction for Persons Unknown", Birmingham City Council,
February 3, 2026
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/WasteInjunctionPersonsUnknown
3. "Birmingham council accused of cowardice as it seeks ban on protests in
support of bin workers", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/birmingham-council-accused-cowardice-it-seeks-ban-protests-support-bin-workers
4. "Birmingham council report on spending £33m to break bin strike
still likely to underestimate costs by millions", Unite the Union, January
19, 2026 ", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/january/birmingham-council-report-on-spending-33m-to-break-bin-strike-still-likely-to-underestimate-costs-by-millions
5. "Birmingham bin strikes The Voice of the Bin Workers Must
Prevail!",
Workers' Weekly
, October 18, 2025
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-25/ww25-24/ww25-24-01.htm
Link to Full Issue of Workers'
Weekly
RCPB(ML) Home Page
Workers' Weekly Online
Archive
Crucial struggle to defend the dignity of labour: Third Megapicket Held to
Support Birmingham Bin Workers
Volume 56 Number 3, February 7,
2026
ARCHIVE
HOME
JBCENTRE
SUBSCRIBE
Crucial struggle to
defend the dignity of labour
Third
Megapicket Held to Support Birmingham Bin Workers
On January 30, 2026, Birmingham witnessed its third megapicket in the
long-running bin workers' strike. The strike, which began in March 2025, was
sparked by Birmingham City Council's plans to cut pay and eliminate job roles,
affecting close to two hundred workers, who face annual pay reductions of up to
£8,000.
This third megapicket, organised by Strike Map, gathered thousands of union
members and supporters at major depots like Perry Barr, Tyseley, and
Smithfield, aiming to paralyse refuse services across the city. Musical
performances added to the atmosphere, creating a vibrant yet defiant mood among
the participants [1].
Speakers criticised the ostensibly Labour but commissioner-run council for
its refusal to engage constructively with strikers, reflecting the demand for a
return to negotiations. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP said:
"All we're asking you to do is get around the table and start
negotiations. These commissioners, they should've been sacked months ago. What
I find offensive is, you look at the pay cut they've tried to inflict, and then
how much they're earning on a daily basis. It's money most people couldn't
dream of, and yet they sit there trying to dictate how the city should be
run."
In the face of the workers' determination and wide support, the council is
increasingly turning to open police powers. Last May, the council obtained an
interim High Court injunction to prevent picketing that obstructed vehicles and
access, which was later extended indefinitely. In July, the council initiated
contempt of court proceedings against Unite for breaching the order. And on
October 12 the council returned to the High Court with further allegations of
violations, including protests obstructing depots and vehicles. What was not
said was that these actions by workers were a response to the council employing
agency work to undermine the strike, which is illegal.
Now, following the megapicket, the council sought a six-month injunction to
prohibit further unauthorised protests supporting the strikes, a move that drew
widespread condemnation. The injunction prohibits "unknown
individuals" from engaging in protest activities supporting Unite the
Union strikes without council consent. It forbids entering or obstructing
specific depots and blocking council vehicles. Lawful picketing and protests
that do not obstruct waste services remain permitted. Violations of the
injunction could lead to up to two years imprisonment, fines, or asset seizure
for contempt of court [2].
"This is an act of pure cowardice by Birmingham City Council, backed by
their unelected commissioners," Strike Map co-founder Henry Fowler said.
"This council's contempt for its own workforce and the people of
Birmingham could not be clearer."
"We and our supporters will not end our solidarity with Birmingham's
bin workers. You cannot ban solidarity," he added [3].
Reports from the council itself indicate that its intransigence, leading to
the drawn-out struggle, and its efforts to break the strike, had incurred an
estimated cost of £33.4 million, though Unite argues that £56 million
would be a more realistic figure [4]. Lost revenues from bulky and commercial
waste collections, alongside direct costs like street cleansing and mobile
waste services, could, as the union points out, be more effectively allocated
toward honouring previously negotiated agreements with the bin workers. Indeed,
according to Unite, a "ballpark" agreement had been negotiated at
ACAS earlier last year but was blocked by the council's commissioners.
The public authority in Birmingham has been systematically wrecked in recent
years, significantly including the effects of severe government funding cuts,
culminating in its alleged "bankruptcy" in August 2023, which served
as a pretext for placing a group of government-appointed commissioners in
control of the city's affairs. As Workers' Weekly pointed out [5], how a city
council can be declared financially bankrupt is the height of capital-centric
irrationality. The massive value created by the services it provides could not
be clearer as the effects of this strike unfold.
Rather, this so-called bankruptcy has been the excuse to appoint
commissioners representing private interests, in what amounts to a coup at the
level of local government. These commissioners were handed control of the
council by the previous government in October 2023, which appointed six
commissioners and two political advisors to oversee the council. The
commissioners effectively exercise control over the council via extensive
powers, to push through a "recovery" plan, which involves selling
assets, cutting services, and increasing council tax.
The strain of the ongoing strike, coupled with council inaction and the
punitive measures aimed at suppressing dissent, is causing lasting damage to
Birmingham, Britain's second largest city. As the bin workers and their allies
prepare for future actions, including possible additional megapickets, the
steadfast commitment to fighting for their claim, the dignity of their labour,
and defending their conditions remains clear. The demand of all in Birmingham,
as the strike approaches its second anniversary, is that the dispute must be
resolved. The bin workers are determined not to be marginalised. Enough Is
Enough!
Notes
1. "Birmingham bin strike megapicket live as city collections axed",
James Cartledge, Harry Leach, Birmingham Mail, January 30, 2026
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmimgham-bin-strike-megapicket-live-33326270
2. "Waste Injunction for Persons Unknown", Birmingham City Council,
February 3, 2026
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/WasteInjunctionPersonsUnknown
3. "Birmingham council accused of cowardice as it seeks ban on protests in
support of bin workers", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/birmingham-council-accused-cowardice-it-seeks-ban-protests-support-bin-workers
4. "Birmingham council report on spending £33m to break bin strike
still likely to underestimate costs by millions", Unite the Union, January
19, 2026 ", Berny Torre, Morning Star, February 4, 2026
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/january/birmingham-council-report-on-spending-33m-to-break-bin-strike-still-likely-to-underestimate-costs-by-millions
5. "Birmingham bin strikes The Voice of the Bin Workers Must
Prevail!",
Workers' Weekly
, October 18, 2025
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-25/ww25-24/ww25-24-01.htm
Link to Full Issue of Workers'
Weekly
RCPB(ML) Home Page
Workers' Weekly Online
Archive