BIRMINGHAM’S BIN COLLECTORS GO ON STRIKE- uncollected waste has increased from 483 tonnes to almost 900 tonnes
Birmingham bin collectors have launched a strike action in the city, and the city council has stated that the daily blocking of depots by picket lines means vehicles are unable to pick up 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish across the city.
The council said it was unable to carry out its contingency plan due to striking workers blocking lorries on the picket line and an asserted risk to public health.
The leader of the Council, John Cotton, who stated that the action is regrettable, also expressed a non-tolerance for a situation that is causing harm and distress to communities across Birmingham
“Unless we declare a major incident and deploy the waste service’s contingency plan, then we would be unable to clear the backlog of waste on the streets or improve the frequency of collections,” he said
Residents across the city have reported huge piles of rubbish stacked up on streets that are attracting rats, during a week when council tax is due to increase by 7.5%. The level of uncollected waste in the city had increased from 483 tonnes a day to almost 900 tonnes a day in March.
The number of properties receiving one bin collection a week had declined from 87% to 17% in the same period.
