Latest news with #bin strikes
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Ministers ‘have their fingers in their ears' over bin strikes, says Sharon Graham
Ministers 'have their fingers in their ears' over the ongoing Birmingham bin strikes, the boss of one of Britain's biggest unions has said. The prime minister and Angela Rayner must 'get in the room, sort it out and stop letting this continue for no reason,' Sharon Graham warned. The outspoken Unite chief said she is not the prime minister's ' favourite trade union leader … probably because I call things out'. But, with the bin strikes running since January, Ms Graham called for the prime minister and his deputy to resolve the dispute. The strikes have resulted in huge piles of rubbish across Birmingham as well as rat infestations and unsanitary conditions. The left-winger has been increasingly critical of Labour 's time in government in recent weeks, and Unite is reexamining its relationship with the Labour party, with disaffiliation a real prospect. The union also took the incendiary step this month of voting to suspend Ms Rayner's membership over the strikes, with Ms Graham accusing her of failing to back workers. Ms Rayner had resigned her membership some months earlier. 'Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute, but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts,' Ms Graham said this month. And, doubling down in an interview with The Times, she called for a major change of course from Labour. 'People were voting for hope,' she said after Labour's first year in power. 'They are not voting for despair, are they?' Ms Graham said she has been 'in more government rooms than I've had hot dinners in the last year', but that 'getting a hearing and being listened to are two very different things'. She warned that if Sir Keir and Ms Rayner keep 'attacking workers' then she would be happy to pull the union's backing of Labour - which would deal a major financial blow to the party. 'Is there something to be said for an authentic voice for workers, independent, strong unions, where your first, second and third priority is the workers?' she told The Times. She added that, if Unite had voted on whether to abandon its link to Labour, it would have passed 'without a shadow of a doubt'. But, with hopes her pressure on the party will force a rethink in Downing Street, she said 'we've got time to recoup this'. 'They've been in for a year. They've made some errors but there's no point going further and faster when you're heading for a cliff. They have time to address some of this stuff, but they're going to have to move fast,' Ms Graham said. She added: 'I think if we're here at the end of next year in the same position, I think there's a real problem.' Ms Graham was also a vocal critic of the government's decision to scrap winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners. Despite the U-turn, she said there are older people who will now never vote Labour again. A Labour Party Spokesperson said: "The Labour Government has introduced the biggest upgrade in workers' rights in a generation to address low pay, insecure work, and poor working conditions, which will benefit 15 million workers across the country. Only Labour is delivering the change working people voted for and so deserve."
The Independent
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Unite boss accuses Angela Rayner of ‘totally and utterly abhorrent' behaviour as clash with Labour escalates
The leader of Unite has described Angela Rayner's behaviour during recent bin strikes as 'totally and utterly abhorrent' as tensions ramp up between the government and Labour's biggest union backers. General secretary Sharon Graham hit out at the deputy prime minister after the union voted to suspend her in a row over how the Labour-run council in Birmingham treated striking bin workers. The union, one of Labour's biggest financial backers, claims fire and rehire tactics had 'effectively' been deployed against striking workers, who are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay and job conditions. In a fresh attack on Saturday, Ms Graham told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Angela Rayner refuses to get involved, and she is directly aiding and abetting the fire and rehire of these bin workers, it is totally and utterly abhorrent." The general secretary said Ms Rayner had been "a member of our union for over 10 years". Allies of Ms Rayner have said she resigned from Unite in April. Ms Graham said the politician may well have done 'Houdini act' in recent months by trying to leave the Union, but added: "She was very clearly a member when she asked us to give her £10,000 for the election. And on our system, obviously we go by quarters, so up to the March quarter." She added: "Now, if she has over the last couple of weeks, because she's seen the mood music, because this isn't the first time that we've discussed that we're not happy with what's going on, then she may well have done that." Ms Graham hinted that the union may have to rethink its relationship with Labour, adding that Unite members have to see that the fee to affiliate with Labour is "worth something'. "At this present moment in time, it is hard to justify it, if I'm being honest,' she continued. 'Would that money be better spent on frontline services for my members? But the decision will be a serious decision. It's not a rash decision."
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Unite votes to suspend Angela Rayner's membership over Birmingham bins dispute
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been suspended from membership of Unite over the Government's handling of the Birmingham bin strikes, the union said following a vote of its membership. Despite the union's vote, a source close to Ms Rayner said she had already resigned membership of Unite some months ago. But in a sign of a growing divide between the major union and Labour, Unite also voted to 're-examine its relationship' with the party. The move comes after Unite members debated a motion at their conference in Brighton, where they condemned the Labour-run council in Birmingham, and the Government, for their approach to the bin workers. The union said fire and rehire tactics had 'effectively' been deployed against striking workers, who are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay and job conditions. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. 'Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts.' She added: 'The disgraceful actions of the Government and a so-called Labour council is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises. 'People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour Government on and coming up with the answer not workers.' A Downing Street spokesman said the Government's priority throughout the dispute had 'always' been Birmingham's residents. The No 10 spokesman also told reporters: 'As you know, Unite's industrial action caused disruption to waste collection. 'We have worked intensively with the council to tackle the backlog and clean up the streets for the residents for public health. 'We remain in close contact with the council and continue to monitor the situation as we support its recovery and transformation 'I think it's important to look back to the context of this dispute: Unite is in dispute against Birmingham City Council's decision to reform unfair staff structures, which were a major cause of unequal pay claims and left the council liable to hundreds of millions of pounds in claims, and that was a key factor cited in the council section 114 notice in 2023, declaring bankruptcy.'
Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Angela Rayner suspended from Unite over Birmingham bin dispute
One of Labour's most influential union backers has suspended Angela Rayner over the Birmingham bin strikes. Unite criticised the deputy prime minister's support for Birmingham council, which it said had 'peddled lies' in its row with refuse workers. Unite said its conference had voted 'overwhelmingly' in favour of ousting Rayner. John Cotton, the leader of Birmingham council, has also had his membership suspended. Sharon Graham, Unite's general secretary, said: 'Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. 'Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts. 'The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises. 'People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer: not workers.' • Birmingham bin strikes could last until Christmas after new vote The dispute in Birmingham was initially over the removal of waste recycling and collection officer roles but later expanded to include the local authority's decision to hire temporary workers, which Unite claimed would 'undermine' strikes. On-and-off strike action has been taking place since January, when an initial 12 walkouts were scheduled over four months. Bin collection workers then announced unlimited strikes on March 11. This is a breaking story. More to follow.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Angela Rayner stripped of Unite union membership over Birmingham bins dispute
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been suspended from membership of the union Unite over the Government's handling of the Birmingham bin strikes. Unite has also voted to 're-examine its relationship with Labour', in a sign of a growing divide between the major union and the Labour Party. The move comes after a vote by Unite members at their conference in Brighton, where they condemned the Labour-run council in Birmingham, and the Government, for their approach to the bin workers. The union said fire and rehire tactics had 'effectively' been deployed against striking workers, who are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay and job conditions. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. 'Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts.'
