Labour offer strikers ‘bin bounty’ worth thousands to end industrial action.
With confirmation at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that Labour controlled Birmingham City Council are set to offer a ‘bin bounty’ of thousands of pounds each to striking Unite and Unison bin workers, the Conservative Group are calling for compensation for residents affected by what they call two years of disruption to their service as a result of Labour’s claimed dysfunctional relationship with its own ‘friends’ in the labour movement.
Councillor Robert Alden (Con, Erdington) Leader of the Opposition Conservative Group said: “The offer to pay off striking bin men a bounty, carries with it some very serious legal and financial risks. Risks that will be borne by the residents of this City who have had to endure a miserable two years of mounting rubbish on their streets.
“Rather than seeking to reward workers taking part in an industrial dispute the council itself has said is unlawful over a complaint the council still insists is entirely without merit, they should instead be looking to compensate the residents of Birmingham for suffering 666 days and counting of bin disputes.”
Councillor Debbie Clancy added: “The Labour Cabinet were advised soon after Unite gave notice of their dispute back in 2018 that they had good grounds to seek an injunction to halt the unlawful strike and indeed on 15th January eventually decided to do just that.
“Yet they failed to implement that decision and are instead making a 2nd substantial offer to workers who are in a Union who have previously said they could withdraw support from some Labour councillors. This is not only unfair to residents and tax payers but also to the thousands of council staff who get on with their important jobs day in and day out without making spurious claims.”
Councillor Robert Alden commented: “Residents deserve a better deal from the Council. We are today launching a petition on behalf of Birmingham’s long suffering residents calling on the council to compensate them for the abysmal bin service they are paying for. Anyone who wants to sign can do so at www.birminghamconservatives.org.uk/bins”