Birmingham bin strike threat to public health, says Streeting

As Birmingham’s bin strikes enter their fifth week, the health secretary has said he is concerned about the impact of the walkout on public health.

Speaking to Times Radio, Wes Streeting said: “I certainly am concerned about the public health situation and the poor conditions we’re seeing for people in Birmingham.

“As the bin bags are piling up, we see rats and other vermin crawling around.”

Talks between bin workers and the city council ended on Monday without an agreement being reached, and are due to resume on Tuesday.

The strike has made headlines around the world, and last week the city council declared a major incident.

With the backlog of waste growing by 1,000 tonnes a week, neighbouring Lichfield District Council is due to start sending crews to help clear it.

The impact of fly-tipping on communities in the West Midlands, due to the strike, is being debated in the Commons on Tuesday.

“I understand industrial disputes happen,” Streeting added. “I understand people have the right to withdraw their labour, that’s part and parcel of industrial relations in our country.

“But what is not acceptable is allowing these sorts of… unsanitary conditions… to occur on people’s streets.”

Bin workers began indefinite strike action on 11 March, although walkouts have been taking place since January.

They are fighting plans to remove some roles and downgrade others.

Birmingham City Council said only a small number of workers would be facing pay cuts, and it desperately needs to save money after effectively declaring itself bankrupt in 2023.

Unite the Union, which is representing the workers, said Monday’s talks had been “productive” despite the lack of resolution.

But it would not go into the details of what had been discussed.

“All I can say is we both want an end to this dispute,” said Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou.

The health secretary’s comments reflect the crisis point many in Birmingham feel the situation has reached.

Speaking to the BBC, one resident said he felt like he was “living in a Third World country“, while others have complained of having to take their rubbish to temporary collection sites after coming home from long overnight shifts.

The council is advising people to continue putting out their household waste on collection days, saying workers who are not on strike will do their best to remove it.

A previous bin strike in 2017 went on for seven weeks before an agreement was reached.