Bin strike deal 'very close', says council leader

The leader of Birmingham City Council says the authority is waiting for "final advice" on a deal that could end the city's long-running bin strike.

Liberal Democrat Roger Harmer, who is leading the minority administration that took over after the May elections, said in a statement on Tuesday that the leadership had "worked constructively with Unite over recent months" and agreement was "very close".

"The council is awaiting final advice from its external auditors prior to taking a final decision," he said.

The authority has been in a stand-off with members of the union Unite over pay and job roles for more than 18 months. Unite has been contacted for comment.

An all-out strike, which began in March 2025, initially centred on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.

Unite The Union claimed about 170 affected workers faced losing up to £8,000 a year as a result. The council had disputed those figures.

At the start of last month, Harmer told BBC Radio WM's Hot Seat he hoped an agreement to end the dispute could be signed off within weeks.

Labour lost 48 of the 65 seats it won in this year's local elections.

Harmer, a councillor for 22 years, was elected leader of the new administration amid a promise to make solving the bin dispute his top priority.

The time taken to reach a deal was criticised by the Conservatives at a recent full council meeting.

"So far no details have been shared or released to the public," Tory group leader Robert Alden told councillors.

He sought assurances that the deal would not create new sex discrimination or equal pay liabilities for the council, an issue which has dogged previous discussions on refuse workers' pay.

Harmer replied: "Options need to be assessed by both the council's officers and also, for example, by the district auditor to make sure… that whatever solution we finally go for is sustainable and does not cause further ongoing issues for this council."

This news was contributed to by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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