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Birmingham bin strike: Council offers new deal to end dispute Birmingham bin strike: Council deal to end dispute accepted by union
(about 2 hours later)
Bin workers in Birmingham who were involved in a three-month strike have accepted a deal, says the Unite union. Bin workers in Birmingham who were involved in a three-month strike have agreed a deal with the city council.
The pay row started in June when Unite claimed the city council's bid to "modernise" the service and save £5m a year threatened more than 100 jobs. Unite's Howard Beckett said it was a "victory for common sense" and meant the industrial action was over.
The deal put forward by the council will see 106 staff remain on their current wages but in new roles helping with recycling. The row started in June when Unite claimed the council's bid to "modernise" the service and save £5m a year threatened more than 100 jobs.
It means a High Court hearing on Monday will not go ahead, the union said. The deal put forward by the council sees 106 staff remain on their current wages but in new recycling roles.
The strikes led to thousands of tonnes of rubbish left piled up on the city's streets.The strikes led to thousands of tonnes of rubbish left piled up on the city's streets.
Why did refuse workers strike in Birmingham?Why did refuse workers strike in Birmingham?
Unite was to take the Labour-run council to the High Court, claiming the authority's plan to lose staff and change working patterns was unlawful. Mr Beckett, Unite assistant general secretary, said it would no longer be taking the council to the High Court on Monday and a "court order was expected to legally cement the agreement".
A judge granted an interim injunction against the council in September which halted the strikes and a trial was scheduled to determine if the authority acted against the law. A judge granted an interim injunction against the council in September and a trial was to determine if the council acted unlawfully.
Under the council's new proposal, which the union agreed earlier, workers will still be on bin lorries, but will focus on recycling to "engage and educate" residents about how and what they throw away. The council has agreed to pay Unite's legal costs, Mr Beckett said.
If the workers help increase recycling rates in the city - which are relatively low - that will also save money, the council said. "This deal secures the grade three role and protects the pay of workers who faced losing thousands of pounds," he said.
Sending less waste to landfill and increasing recycling by 10% will save £1.6m a year. He added it was also a "victory" for residents "who no longer need worry about the disruption of industrial action".
The authority also estimates £3m a year can be saved by changing workers' hours from a four-day week to a shorter five-day week - meaning less reliance on overtime and agency staff. Ian Ward, leader of the Labour-run council, said the deal had been achieved through "quiet, open and honest dialogue", adding neither the council or Unite wanted things to escalate the way they did.
"This has always been about providing an efficient and effective refuse collection service for Birmingham, as that is what citizens rightly expect and deserve from us," he said.
His predecessor, John Clancy resigned in September after criticism of his handling of the dispute.
The deal creates new waste reduction and collection officer roles who will be on bin lorries, focusing on recycling to help "engage and educate" residents.
Sending less waste to landfill and increasing recycling by 10% is expected to save £1.6m a year.
The authority also estimates £3m a year can be saved by changing workers' hours from a four-day to a five-day week - meaning less reliance on overtime and agency staff.