Birmingham bin strike end 'within sight' after more than a year, says council leader

The end of the Birmingham bin strike is "within sight" after more than a year, the council leader has said.

John Cotton said there has been a breakthrough in the dispute over jobs and pay.

He said: "After months of frustration and delay, for the first time in over 12 months, a negotiated settlement to end the bin strike is now within sight.

"This has been a challenging and complex process, but after months of hard work, on the principles and parameters of a deal, I believe a new, improved offer can be made and terms can be put in place that addresses the ballpark issues discussed at Acas, that Unite members can agree in order to end the strike once and for all.

"A deal that would be good for the workforce, represent good value for money and would not repeat the mistakes of the past and risk creating new structural equal pay liabilities."

Unite has said the council leader's statement is "a vindication of the bin workers' struggle for a decent deal following their job evaluation regrading".

Its general secretary Sharon Graham added: "As I have said on many occasions, the workers come first and we will always do everything in our power to ensure that our members are treated with dignity and respect."

Unite said the full details of the deal will remain confidential ahead of the detailed offer from the council, which will then have to be voted on by the bin workers.

The breakthrough comes just over a week before the local council elections.

Members of Unite went on an all-out strike in March last year in a row over pay, which the union claims will leave some members of staff £8,000 worse off, a figure the council has always disputed.

More than 350 workers began a series of walkouts in January 2025 and decided to escalate into indefinite strike action three months later, citing fear over further attacks on their jobs, pay and conditions.

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Birmingham City Council declared a major incident a month into the strike, when around 17,000 tonnes of waste had been left on the streets.

It said at the time that the "regrettable" move was being taken in response to public health concerns, as picket lines were blocking depots and preventing waste vehicles from collecting rubbish.

(c) Sky News 2026: Birmingham bin strike end 'within sight' after more than a year, says council leader