Birmingham is drowning in garbage from spring. Employees

Six months have passed on Thursday since the strike of employees of the company exporting garbage in Birmingham, the second largest city of Great Britain in London. Trade unions announced an extension of the protest action for the next six months, until March 2026.

The strike began on March 11, but the garbage collection was suspended at the beginning of January. Heaps of trash bags appeared on the streets, and the residents themselves expressed concerns about the health risk.

The Unite trade union informed at the beginning of September that its members, by the voting, followed the extension of the strike by March 2026. According to the protesters, the liquidation of the position of a recycling specialist and waste collection specialist will cause losses of 8,000. pounds in salaries of 171 employees. In addition, the strikers oppose the reduction of the number of people serving garbage trucks from four to three.

Local authorities refute the allegations, explaining that the planned changes will affect only 17 employees, and financial losses will be much smaller than Unite states.

In connection with the ongoing strike, the municipality introduced an emergency plan that allows the collection of waste from each property once a week. This collection does not apply to recycled waste or biodegradable. Residents can return the waste themselves to the recycling point, and garbage utilization services are also available in the nearby cities of Kings Norton, Castle Bromwich, Perry Barr, Sutton Coldfield and Tyseley.

The Birmingham Live portal said that 15.4 percent All waste generated in the city is recycled. According to the data of the authorities, Birmingham is a decrease from 22.9 percent. before the start of the strike. Currently, most waste goes to landfills or to the incineration plant instead of recycling points. The rotting food products in the streets attracted to Birmingham foxes, cockroaches and rats attracted to Birmingham.

Negotiations between the City Council and the trade union ended at the beginning of July. There has been no significant change since then.

From London Marta Zabłocka (PAP)

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