{"id":2303,"date":"2025-04-14T05:17:58","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T05:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/?p=2303"},"modified":"2025-04-15T23:08:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T23:08:17","slug":"people-in-birmingham-desperately-queueing-online-for-slot-to-dump-rubbish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/14\/people-in-birmingham-desperately-queueing-online-for-slot-to-dump-rubbish\/","title":{"rendered":"People in Birmingham \u2018desperately queueing online for slot to dump rubbish\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T52S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/14\/15\/97265169-0-image-m-29_1744640960565.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-04-14T15:29:49+0100″,”description”:”Unite Union boss Onay Kasab announced refuse workers in Birmingham have voted overwhelmingly to reject a deal aimed at ending a long-running strike.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/14\/7456029899951552373\/480x270_MP4_7456029899951552373.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480}<\/p>\n

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class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Birmingham residents are desperately trying to offload their bin bags and are praying for a quick end to the strikes.<\/p>\n<p>A day after striking workers voted \u2018overwhelmingly\u2019 to reject an offer from Birmingham Council, Metro found rubbish piled up next to a GP and fly tipping ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>Unite the Union said the offer was rejected as it did not address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers, and branded it as \u00a0\u2018totally inadequate\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>As the strikes continue, logistical experts from the army have been called in to help tackle the issue while some residents have now taken matters into their own hands, clearing the streets themselves.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22912968 lazyload\" alt=\"Rubbish piles in Poplar Road Birmingham METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 15\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247629448-fa27.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Rubbish piles, including barbed wire, in Poplar Road, Birmingham (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Birmingham locals are sympathetic to the union\u2019s protests but spoke to Metro about their frustration at the ongoing dispute.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Metro<\/strong> met Tanweer Ahmed in the city\u2019s Sparkhill area as he was filling up his car with bin bags.<\/p>\n<p>As if trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets, he waited patiently yesterday to get an appointment at the tip today.<\/p>\n<p>The dad told Metro: \u2018Luckily I got a slot to dump my rubbish.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was ready in that position and I had to click to get it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I am taking my brother\u2019s bin bags too. We have a duty to keep our street tidy.\u2019<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22913000 lazyload\" alt=\"Residents clearing their rubbish in Sparkhill Birmingham today Pictured is Tanwer Ahmed METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 15\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247622599-b1bc.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Tanweer Ahmed is taking and his brother\u2019s bin bags to the tip (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018I was going to take my neighbour\u2019s but there is not enough space!\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Tanweer, who works for a cash and carry, just wants a resolution to the weeks-long strike action.<\/p>\n<p>He added: \u2018The best way forward is to find an agreement. The people are suffering. They have to come to an agreement.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It is going to get worse, we are already getting mice and rats. I\u2019m worried about it.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Dentist Parisa Alipour wants bin workers to be given a better pay offer to allow them back on the streets.<\/p>\n<p>The Selly Oak dental expert told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: \u2018The government should just sort it out. It is just getting ridiculous.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I don\u2019t blame the strikers, because they are underpaid.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"627\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22910863 lazyload\" alt=\"Parisa Alipour talking about the bin strike in Birmingham METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 15\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247619608-a250-e1744725355770.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Dentist Parisa Alipour does not blame the striking bin workers (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018It is just a mess. Just paying people who are working hard and that will resolve it. It is very very frustrating.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Metro found bin bags piled next to a GP practice in student area Selly Oak.<\/p>\n<p>Wendy, who works at the practice, told Metro: \u2018The strikes are terrible, but until they get what they want they\u2019ll carry on.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The medical centre is awful. We share the medical centre with students.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It is their mess and our mess. It is a mess.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We\u2019ve had rats and foxes and cats sniffing around the medical waste.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Rachael and Alex, who live in Selly Park, were particularly maddened that their rising council tax bill does not mean clean streets.<\/p>\n<p>Birmingham\u2019s Ccuncil tax went up 7.5% this April, on top of a 10% increase last year.<\/p>\n<p>The couple told Metro: \u2018What are we paying for at the moment?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22912989 lazyload\" alt=\"Rubbish piled up in Selly Oak Birmingham this morning. METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 15\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247617573-e557.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Rubbish piled up at a joint student-GP bin (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018It is frustrating the strikes are going on. There doesn\u2019t appear any intention to end it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It is an awful. Some of our rubbish has been picked up, but there definitely are still rats around.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It makes Birmingham look really untidy.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Birmingham City Council have said it is on track to clear a backlog of uncollected waste by the weekend, with collections focusing on \u2018the poorest parts\u2019 of the city \u2018affected the most\u2019 by the ongoing bin strike.<\/p>\n<p>Craig Cooper, strategic director of city operations, said he expected to be back to \u2018one household collection every week\u2019 for all Birmingham residents by the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Driving around Sparkhill, however, Metro witnessed more people fly tipping on the side of road.<\/p>\n<p>Many streets are littered not just with household waste, but discarded fridges, sofas and other household items.<\/p>\n<p>Birmingham Edgbaston MP Preet Gill told Metro yesterday: \u2018People are using this as an opportune moment to fly tip as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It is not acceptable that people are putting fridges out on the footpath. I have seen TVs, kitchen cabinets and sofas.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22906899 lazyload\" alt=\"Preet Gill MP in Westbury Road Birmingham today. METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 14\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247544499-daf8.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Preet Gill MP in Westbury Road Birmingham yesterday (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018Fly tipping is an ongoing national conversation which the city needs to have.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The amount of rubbish piling high on the streets of Birmingham now weighs as much as two Eiffel Towers, locals have said.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Alden, leader for the Conservative group at Birmingham City Council, told <strong>Metro <\/strong>the refuse has spiralled to 21,000 tonnes in total, roughly double the weight of France\u2019s famous landmark.<\/p>\n<p>The rubbish, which has been accumulating over the past month after members of Unite went on strike over the council\u2019s plans to scrap some bin collection and <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/recycling\/\">recycling<\/a> roles, has led to giant 14-inch rats roaming the streets.<\/p>\n<p>Experts from the army have been called in to help tackle the issue while some residents have now taken matters into their own hands, clearing the streets themselves.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"414\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22903561 lazyload\" alt=\"A giant rat the size of a small cat seen in Birmingham early this morning. Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 14\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247517138-c3a2.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>A giant rat the size of a small cat was seen in Birmingham early this morning (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While soldiers will not be deployed to clear the rubbish piles, they will provide logistical support behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<p>Councillor Alden said he was pessimistic about the strike ending soon, telling <strong>Metro<\/strong>: \u2018A deal to end the strike is further away than ever. You can see rats and rubbish on so many street corners.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The council have shown they are incapable of managing large scale projects. The council need to end this strike.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, bin workers voted overwhelmingly to reject an offer from the Council, which could have seen the end of the month-long industrial action.<\/p>\n<p>Unite the Union said the offer was rejected as it did not address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers, and branded it as \u00a0\u2018totally inadequate\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player \" data-track-module=\"video-player\">\n<div class=\"vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-responsive\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T50S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/14\/06\/97242405-0-image-a-1_1744608381075.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-04-14T06:27:29+0100″,”description”:”‘You can see rats coming out of the bins when you’re walking out with your kids.'”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/14\/1803135403423480477\/480x270_MP4_1803135403423480477.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480}<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<video id=\"3414107\" class=\"video-js\" poster=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/14\/06\/97242405-0-image-a-2_1744608382020.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supports HTML5<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder-header\">\n<div class=\"metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder-header-label\">\n<p>Up Next<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"spinner\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div 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\/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The union\u2019s general secretary Sharon Graham said: \u2018For weeks, these workers have faced attacks from government and their employer pushing the lie that only a handful of workers are affected by the council\u2019s plans to cut pay by up to \u00a38,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Instead of peddling untruths about these low paid workers and focusing on winning a media war, the government should have taken the time to check facts and used its office to bring the council to the table in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The rejection of the offer is no surprise as these workers simply cannot afford to take pay cuts of this magnitude to pay the price for bad decision after bad decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018From the start, the council has constantly moved the goalposts for these workers, prolonging the strikes in the process. First it was equal pay, then it was about improving the waste service, then cost cutting. The list goes on.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Unite has set out simple and reasonable steps to the council to resolve these issues. It is important to remember that this dispute is not about a pay rise it is about preventing serious pay cuts.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"420\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22903560 lazyload\" alt=\"A giant rat the size of a small cat seen in Birmingham early this morning. Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 14\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247517228-e383.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The massive rat is around 14 inches long and around 5 inches wide (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018The government must now call a meeting with the stakeholders to ensure these steps are taken to bring the strike to an end.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The government must now also urgently consider Unite\u2019s proposal for debt restructure at Birmingham City Council and other local authorities. Workers and communities cannot continue to pay the price.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>During a visit to the city yesterday, <strong>Metro<\/strong>\u00a0found a gigantic rat among the piles of rubbish in Small Heath area of the city.<\/p>\n<p>It was around 14 inches long and about 5 inches wide \u2013 the size of a small cat.<\/p>\n<p>The massive rodent was too fat to move and had clearly been feasting for days.<\/p>\n<p>William Timms, the owner WJ Pest Solutions, said previously he has seen a 75% increase in callouts and that the \u2018problem is only going to get worse.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Over in Selly Oak, an area of the city popular with students, Jordan Mis said the huge rats are \u2018everywhere\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The 25-year-old, who is in his second year at Birmingham University, told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: \u2018I\u2019m living in 17 tonnes of rubbish. They\u2019re big and running around all over the place.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018There are so many rats and so much food for them.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22905636 lazyload\" alt=\"Metro Reporter Luke Alsford next to rubbish in Newlands Road today. METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 14\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247535746-7f9d.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Metro reporter Luke Alsford is currently at the scene talking to locals about the problem (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018Half of the time I\u2019ll walk on the road to avoid the bags on the sidewalk.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The international student from Canada says even his family back home had heard of the bin strikes.<\/p>\n<p>As for the army being called in, Jordan said he thinks it\u2019s better than nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Whatever it takes,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n<p>Lamin Bajinkabambadinka, 47, was seen collecting rubbish from Harrow Road in a bid to try and fix the problem.<\/p>\n<p>He told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: \u2018I\u2019m clearing the streets because nobody else is.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22903905 lazyload\" alt=\"Piles of rubbish Birmingham today METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 14\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247521710-ef5d.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Rubbish is still piling up high in Birmingham ahead of a vote this afternoon to potentially end strike action (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018The mess is piling up. Imagine 4,000 students putting all their daily mess for two weeks because no one is picking it up.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It is a horrible situation,\u2019 he added as he faced a rowdy scattered in rubbish.<\/p>\n<p>He had towels, shirts and takeaway boxes in his shopping cart.<\/p>\n<p>Amir Khan, a postman in Small Heath, was doing his daily round right beside a huge pile on Newland Road.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The postman told\u00a0<strong>Metro<\/strong>: \u2018Everywhere you go people are dumping rubbish. It is awful.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22905902 lazyload\" alt=\"Piles of rubbish in Selly Oak Birmingham today METRO ONLY Picture by Jeremy Selwyn \/ SelwynPics +44 7836 200711 14\/04\/2025\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247535086-7ba6.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Piles of rubbish and furniture seen this morning in Selly Oak (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018It\u2019s not just rubbish people are dumping, it\u2019s household stuff.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The military are just planning, they won\u2019t clear the rubbish.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018You can\u2019t get rid of the smell of the rubbish.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The workers stroking aren\u2019t going to achieve anything. Union power doesn\u2019t exist anymore.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Birmingham Council described the rejection by Unite members as \u2018disappointing\u2019, adding that the offer was \u2018fair and reasonable.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>A Birmingham council spokesperson said: \u2018Despite several weeks of extensive negotiations, Unite have rejected a second offer of settlement. However, our door remains open.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"434\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22903027 lazyload\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/softnary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_246128869_7b80d0-8bee.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>William Timms, who runs WJ Pest Solutions, says he caught a 22-inch rat in Birmingham and that he hasn\u2019t had a day off for weeks (Picture: William Timms \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018The council must deliver improved waste services for our citizens \u2013 who simply deserve better.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We must also guard against future equal pay claims, and while we have sought throughout the negotiations to protect pay for individuals, Unite\u2019s proposals focus solely on retaining a role that does not exist in other councils and represents an equal pay risk for Birmingham.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We have made a fair and reasonable offer and every employee affected by the removal of the WRCO role could take an equivalent graded role in the council, LGV driver training or voluntary redundancy packages.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said the result of today\u2019s vote would be \u2018deeply disappointing for Birmingham residents\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>He added: \u2018The huge effort to clear the backlog has already seen over 11,000 tonnes of waste collected, and will now continue at pace to protect public health while the dispute remains ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018There is a fair and reasonable offer on the table and I would urge Unite to end the strikes and return to talks to reach the resolution that is fair to the workers and residents of the city.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>A government spokesperson said: \u2018The government has already provided a number of staff to support the council with logistics and make sure the response on the ground is swift to address the associated public health risks.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018In light of the ongoing public health risk, a small number of office-based military personnel with operational planning expertise have been made available to Birmingham City Council to further support in this area.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><strong><strong>Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:webnews@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this, <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T52S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/04\/14\/15\/97265169-0-image-m-29_1744640960565.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-04-14T15:29:49+0100″,”description”:”Unite Union boss Onay Kasab announced refuse workers in Birmingham have voted overwhelmingly to reject a deal aimed at ending a long-running strike.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/04\/14\/7456029899951552373\/480x270_MP4_7456029899951552373.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || 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