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Birmingham City Council urged to put bin strike pay pledge in writing Birmingham bin strike talks collapse as council urged to put pledge in writing
(31 minutes later)
Bin bags have piled up on streets during the disputeBin bags have piled up on streets during the dispute
The Unite union has said if Birmingham City Council puts in writing "what it is saying in public" a deal in the bin dispute "would be much closer". Talks to end a strike by bin workers in Birmingham has ended without a deal.
In a statement, it claimed the authority's leader John Cotton said that Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) workers moving "sideways" would not lose pay, but this had not been guaranteed long term by the council. The Unite union said negotiations would resume next week, although it offered to continue talking over Easter.
Cotton told BBC Midlands Today he was "a little mystified" by the union's remarks and said there was an offer on the table that meant nobody needed to "lose out". The strike has been running for more than five weeks and the union said a deal "would be much closer" if promises made by the council in interviews would be put in writing.
More talks were expected on Wednesday, following union members' rejection of the council's latest pay offer on Monday. John Cotton, leader of the Labour-run council said he was "mystified" by the comments, saying the local authority had been very clear that "nobody needs to lose out".
Hundreds began an all-out strike on 11 March, in a standoff with the Labour-run council that has led to bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish piling up on streets. Hundreds of members of the Unite union began an all-out strike on 11 March, in a standoff with the council that has led to bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish piled up on streets.
The dispute was initially focused on the council's plans to remove the WRCO role, a safety position it said did not exist at other authorities. The pay dispute was initially focused on the council's plans to remove the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role, a safety position it said did not exist at other authorities.
However, Unite has more recently urged the council to guarantee bin lorry drivers' existing levels of pay, particularly with many WRCOs encouraged to take up driving training as a way of protecting their income.However, Unite has more recently urged the council to guarantee bin lorry drivers' existing levels of pay, particularly with many WRCOs encouraged to take up driving training as a way of protecting their income.
A rally was held on Tuesday outside Birmingham City Council, with Unite officials, bin workers and supporters attending
In Wednesday's statement, the union said: "Speaking to the BBC this morning ahead of fresh negotiations, council leader John Cotton said, 'we're in a position where nobody needs to be losing income'.In Wednesday's statement, the union said: "Speaking to the BBC this morning ahead of fresh negotiations, council leader John Cotton said, 'we're in a position where nobody needs to be losing income'.
"If this is true and guarantees were put in writing as part of a new offer, a deal would be much closer.""If this is true and guarantees were put in writing as part of a new offer, a deal would be much closer."
A rally was held on Tuesday outside Birmingham City Council, with Unite officials, bin workers and supporters attending
Unite said drivers on strike had been told during talks their pay was likely to go down from £40,000 to £32,000.Unite said drivers on strike had been told during talks their pay was likely to go down from £40,000 to £32,000.
It stated: "For WRCO workers who do not wish to make a sideways move, the council are saying in public that they will get a one-off payment of £16,000 which would cover two years' loss of £8,000 in pay cuts.It stated: "For WRCO workers who do not wish to make a sideways move, the council are saying in public that they will get a one-off payment of £16,000 which would cover two years' loss of £8,000 in pay cuts.
"Again, if this is true this needs to be put in writing.""Again, if this is true this needs to be put in writing."
General secretary Sharon Graham said she stood ready to meet Cotton and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner over Easter.General secretary Sharon Graham said she stood ready to meet Cotton and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner over Easter.
But she said the council leader should "rethink his position" if his comments "prove again to be untrue".But she said the council leader should "rethink his position" if his comments "prove again to be untrue".
"We appear to be in a parallel universe. Yet again John Cotton is saying one thing in public, while his local officers are saying another in the negotiating room and in writing," she said."We appear to be in a parallel universe. Yet again John Cotton is saying one thing in public, while his local officers are saying another in the negotiating room and in writing," she said.
On Tuesday, the council said the amount of uncollected waste had peaked at 22,000 tonnes, and it was on track to clear the backlog by the weekend. A consultation on plans for compulsory redundancies affecting up to 72 refuse staff began on 3 April.
'Needs to improve' On Tuesday, the council said the amount of uncollected waste had peaked at 22,000 tonnes, but it was on track to clear the backlog by the weekend.
Cotton said he was "a little mystified" by Unite's comments but he was keen to see the two parties continue talking so they could bring the dispute "to a close". Council leader John Cotton said the city's waste service needed to improve
Cotton said he was keen to see the two parties continue talking so they could bring the dispute "to a close".
Asked if he had told the union that no-one needed to lose any pay, he said: "We've been very clear throughout that there's a reasonable offer on the table that means nobody needs to lose out and that there are alternative roles available."Asked if he had told the union that no-one needed to lose any pay, he said: "We've been very clear throughout that there's a reasonable offer on the table that means nobody needs to lose out and that there are alternative roles available."
'Not good enough'
He said the WRCO role was "not sustainable" and that the council needed to find a way to remodel its waste service.He said the WRCO role was "not sustainable" and that the council needed to find a way to remodel its waste service.
"The waste service hasn't been good enough in this city and needs to improve, which is why we embarked on the transformation process," he added."The waste service hasn't been good enough in this city and needs to improve, which is why we embarked on the transformation process," he added.
Cotton said any agreement could not cross the council's "red lines" and create any further equal pay issues. The council has previously said its recycling rate of 22.9% is the lowest of any unitary authority in the country, with the exception of Liverpool.
However, he refused to give any guarantees over driver pay and said the role was the subject of a job evaluation process that was being undertaken across the council. The government has set a target of reaching 65% in the next 10 years.
Cotton said he would not comment on a process that "had not been concluded".
On the threat of compulsory redundancies, which was made by the authority on 27 March in relation to 72 refuse staff, Cotton confirmed the consultation process began on 3 April. Cotton said any agreement with Unite could not cross the council's "red lines" and create any further equal pay issues.
He also refused to give any guarantees over driver pay and said the role was the subject of an ongoing job evaluation process that was being undertaken across the local authority.
The council leader said he would not comment on a process that "had not been concluded".
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