PA Media
Throughout the year there have been times when uncollected rubbish has piled up, like here in the Sparkhill area, in May
Agency staff who had continued working during Birmingham’s long-running bin strike have voted to take industrial action themselves over claims of bullying and harassment.
Hundreds of members of Unite in Birmingham have been on all-out strike since March in a dispute over pay and jobs.
Now, Unite claims a growing number of agency staff are refusing to cross the picket lines of the striking workers because of “unsustainable workloads” and a “bullying” workplace culture.
Unite confirmed 18 out of 22 agency staff who are members had voted to join official picket lines from 1 December. Birmingham City Council denied the union’s claims about the department.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a real escalation in the dispute with agency workers now joining picket lines due to the terrible way they have been treated by Job&Talent and Birmingham council.”
Birmingham City Council previously denied the allegations and said it did not “condone any actions which are contrary to legislation and good employment practice.”
EPA
Piles of rubbish have been seen in the city, like this mound pictured in April not long after the strike began