13-05-2025
Mountains of rubbish continue to pile up in Birmingham as fears grow strike that's caused 'rats the size of cats' to flood city could last until CHRISTMAS
Rotting rubbish is still piling up in Birmingham despite council claims that collections are back to normal.
Pictures show huge mounds of bin bags spilling out over pavements in England's second city.
Refuse workers from the Unite union have been striking since March over Birmingham City Council's proposed changes to roles and resulting pay cuts.
Striking staff have vowed to carry on industrial action indefinitely unless demands are met, with some believing it may be ongoing until Christmas.
Birmingham City Council says it has cleared 100 per cent of the large piles of waste in hot-spot areas and 85 per cent of rubbish from the rest of the city.
But grim images show overflowing bins, split rubbish bags and rotting food strewn across residential streets.
Photographs taken in Bordesley Green on Monday show old boxes and waste dumped on the pavements and roads.
Another shot shows a red wheelie bin crammed with trash next to bulging bin bags piled up on the path.
Graham Marlow, 45, who lives in the area, said: 'How the council can keep a straight face and say they have everything under control is mad.
'They only need to come down from their ivory towers and have a look at the streets to know the city is still waist deep in rubbish.
'My family are sick of it. I'm sick of it. I can't wait to leave this city. It's little wonder people now call Birmingham Scummy Brum.'
More pictures show fly-tipping is still plaguing the city, with old beds, mattresses, shop mannequins and even an industrial-sized freezer being dumped on the streets.
Other images show how residents have struggled to even park their cars as the mountains of rubbish swamps residential areas.
The bin strike has attracted worldwide attention with shocking pictures of giant 'cat-sized' rats chasing council workers.
Disabled people reliant on wheelchairs have also been trapped in their homes by piles of rubbish dumped on pavements and in alleyways.
Opposition politicians have accused the Labour-led council of failing to end the dispute.
Birmingham's Conservative leader councillor Robert Alden said: 'What we've seen sadly over the last two weeks, since national support from the army has been withdrawn, [is that] bin lorries have not been going out again.
'Indeed by the end of the week, barely any bin lorries were going out and that's leading to more rubbish starting to build up on the streets.'
Khan, who is a Birmingham councillor and MP for Perry Barr, also said thousands of tonnes of rubbish were still piling up on the streets.
He added: 'You see the frustration across the whole city.
'What striking bin workers are saying is very simple: 'We've got mortgages to pay, we've got children to raise.
'The cost of living is going through the roof and we just want a fair deal.''
Earlier this week, crowds of supporters joined bin workers on a 'mega picket' in Birmingham, shutting down a council depot.
The group let off flares and held up a giant inflatable rat - a nod to the rodents which have invaded the city as rubbish piles high.
Members of other unions, such as the train drivers' union Aslef and Fire Brigades Union, travelled from across the UK to join the 200-strong march.
The picket shut down Lifford Lane depot and recycling centre in Kings Norton, delaying collections.
Asked if she expected the strike to continue into the summer, Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou said: 'If that's what we need to do, unfortunately... It's down to the council to come up with a proper offer and be transparent.'
National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede told protesters the strike was a fight against 'a race to the bottom' on workers' wages, adding: 'We are standing here with bin workers today because it could be us tomorrow.'
A council spokesperson said: 'Before industrial action began, our crews were collecting about 1,000 to 1,100 tonnes of waste per day.
'However, in recent weeks, our crews have collected 1,500 to 1,700 tonnes of waste each day, with a reduced team.
'This highlights the need for transformation in the service we provide to residents.'
