“Unite has accused Birmingham city council of trying to 'break' the bin strikes after analysis showed the council had doubled spending on agency staff since the start of the year-long industrial action.”

“Birmingham city council said it strongly refuted 'any suggestion that agency workers have been carrying out work normally undertaken by striking workers' – which is an unlawful practice.”

“The Labour-run council said it was using the 'same level of agency staff as before the strike'.”

“Refuse workers employed by Birmingham city council began a series of stoppages in January 2025 over pay cuts and role changes, including the removal of the waste recycling and collection role that Unite said would cost some members £8,000 a year.”

“The council spent on average £481,000 a month on fleet and waste operations agency staff in the nine months before strikes began in January 2025. That increased to £971,000 in the month stoppages began, and rose again to more than £1.2m in March 2025, when workers began an all-out strike.”

“The council said it had always utilised agency staff to provide contingency cover for leave, sickness and to cover vacancies in waste. It said the more than £2m spent on agency staff in January 2026 included 'increased fly-tipping clearance crews, grounds maintenance and Christmas bank holiday payments'.”

“The council and Unite were in negotiations last summer but talks broke down in July. Unite claimed government-appointed commissioners had blocked an agreement between the union and the council. However, the council said it had 'reached the absolute limit of what we can offer'.”