As Birmingham strike worsens, how much do bin workers actually get paid?
Bin workers in Birmingham have entered their fifth week of an indefinite strike after they 'overwhelmingly' rejected a deal to bring an end to a major incident that has seen bin bags pile up all over the city.
The latest pay offer by the city council was snubbed by members of the Unite union, which is representing the striking workers, meaning the action has now been ongoing since 11 March.
Residents have complained of rat infestations in the Labour-run authority as fly-tipped rubbish remains piled high throughout the city.
Negotiations between the council and Unite have stalled for months in a dispute about plans to remove the post of Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO), eventually leading to the bitter industrial action.
Unite say that the WRCO is an important health and safety role and that around 150 workers face losing up to £8,000 annually due to the decision.
The union adds that the plans will affect hundreds who face losing out on the prospect of pay progression. The council has disputed this, saying only 17 workers will be affected.
While many councils have experienced severe financial struggles in recent years, Birmingham's troubles have been worse than most.
In 2012, the council lost a Supreme Court ruling that opened the floodgates to a deluge of historic equal pay claims from female workers who had been underpaid. The council effectively declared itself bankrupt in 2023 following payouts of more than £1.1bn over the previous decade. An agreement with unions in December 2024 left the council with estimated liabilities of £760 million.
The UK government website says that workers who collect household and commercial waste for disposal or recycling can expect to earn between £24,000 to £30,000.
Salaries vary around the UK, with London bin workers being the highest paid, with an average hourly rate of around £12.51, according to Indeed.
Glassdoor, a website where workers can post salaries anonymously, says it can say with a high degree of confidence that the estimated salary for a bin collector is £21,311 per year in the Birmingham area.
Bin lorry drivers can earn more, up to around £33,000 or more, but any starting salary can vary because of experience, training, or location.
The WRCO role, which Unite are fighting to keep, is unique to Birmingham City Council and was introduced in 2017 because of a previous bin strike, say the council.
On 14 April, workers were balloted on whether to accept a second proposal by the council, which was rejected by Unite members.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the offer was 'totally inadequate' and included only a 'partial deal on pay protection for a few'.
Although the exact details of the deal have not been made public, Graham said that the offer still included substantial pay cuts and failed to address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.
Birmingham has already announced fewer bin collections in a bid to cut about £148m of spending, while increasing council tax by 7.49 per cent.
Graham said: 'The rejection of the offer is no surprise as these workers simply cannot afford to take pay cuts of this magnitude to pay the price for bad decision after bad decision.
'From the start, the council has constantly moved the goalposts for these workers, prolonging the strikes in the process. First it was equal pay, then it was about improving the waste service, then cost cutting.'
A Birmingham council spokesperson said: 'It is incredibly disappointing, that despite several weeks of extensive negotiations, Unite have rejected a second offer of settlement.
'We must also guard against future equal pay claims, and while we have sought throughout the negotiations to protect pay for individuals, Unite's proposals focus solely on retaining a role that does not exist in other councils and represents an equal pay risk for Birmingham.'
They added that every employee affected by the removal of the WRCO role could "take an equivalent graded role in the council, LGV Driver training or voluntary redundancy packages."
Onay Kasab, Unite's national lead officer, said 97 per cent of those who voted rejected the council's deal with a 60 percent turnout.
He said: 'We are not asking for more money. All we're asking for is that people do not take a pay cut and leave them only just above the national minimum wage.'
The Birmingham bin strikes follow other disputes between bin workers and employers across the country as local authorities try to save money.
Some union members in Sheffield are on strike with Veolia, who have worked with Sheffield City Council to provide waste management services since 2001.
Unite decided to take industrial action as Veolia refused to sign a union recognition agreement with workers.
In December last year refuse staff at Peterborough Limited – a company wholly owned by Peterborough City Council – threatened industrial action in a pay dispute with the GMB union.
Last month Peterborough Council recommended taking the services back in-house, which could mean the end for the company, whose services including recycling and waste collection.
On 15 April, during a discussion about the Birmingham bin strikes Ms Graham said she would give the green light for 'action in other areas' if councils targeted low-paid workers.
She told LBC: 'Well, if other councils decide to make low-paid workers pay for bad decisions that they did not make, workers paying the price yet again, then absolutely. Of course, we all have to take action in those other areas.'
Unite members have now rejected Birmingham City council's second offer, with no news on when, or if, a third deal maybe offered.
Graham has called for the UK government to step in 'urgently' and bring stakeholders to the table to 'ensure steps are taken to bring the strike to an end'.
The city council has asked neighbouring authorities to help tackle the crisis. On Monday it was revealed the council was receiving help from the Army to battle the backlog.
The UK government said that a 'small number' of office-based planners will provide logistical support, and soldiers are not being deployed to collect rubbish.
A government spokesperson said: 'In light of the ongoing public health risk, a small number of office-based military personnel with operational planning expertise have been made available to Birmingham city council to further support in this area.
Kasab told the PA news agency that the dispute could be 'resolved on Wednesday, and the best people to clean the streets are the people who work in the refuse service'
He said: 'We don't need the Army, as wonderful as they are. We don't need people by the councils and agencies coming in.'
The council have tried to remove the waste regardless and say they have collected 11,588 tonnes of waste since Friday April 4 as they work through the piles of bins around the city.
Leader of the Council Cllr John Cotton said he shares the 'frustration of people across the city'.
He said: "Our work to clear the backlog is gathering pace and we will continue collecting waste over the weekend. I fully appreciate that there is still more to do.'
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