Having agreed a deal to save the jobs of over 100 Birmingham bin workers the council reneged and sent out redundancy notices at the weekend. As a result the bin workers walked back out on strike. Birmingham People’s Assembly supports the strikers.
The Tories have created this crisis by continually cutting council budgets, but we believe that our Labour council should be standing up to these cuts, not forcing them onto their workforce in the shape of redundancies and the public in the shape of worsening services.
The workers threatened with redundancy have been given until 13th September to sign an agreement to be downgraded, with thousands of pounds drop in pay, or face redundancy. The workers continue to strike and picket three times per day 7-8am, 10.30-11.30am, 1.30-2.30pm.
On Tuesday we held a meeting to discuss building support for the bin strikers. We agreed to initiate a bin strike support group and we agreed the following initiatives.
- Saturday 9th Sept. Solidarity stall at the ramp, 2pm
- Tuesday 12th Sept. Protest at Birmingham Council meeting. 12.30pm and 5pm – 6pm, Council House, Victoria Square.
- Wednesday 13th Sept. Solidarity picket. 7am, Montague Street, Digbeth, B9 4BA. Please bring banners and delegations from your union, campaign group etc.
- Friday 15th Sept. 7pm – 8pm. Meet up to hear the latest on the strike, bring in collections, collect solidarity literature. Eagle & Tun pub, 54 New Canal Street, B5 5RH
- Sun 17th Sept. 11am. Demonstration to support the bin strikers, Victoria Square. Called by UNITE the Union. More details to follow.
- Wednesday 20th Sept. Bins Striker will be joining the platform of a public meeting on the public sector pay cap with Mark Serwotka PCS general secretary and Len McCluskey UNITE general secretary speaking. 6pm, Birmingham Midlands Institute, Margaret Street (behind the council house). Leaflet and further details to follow.
Post from Birmingham People’s Assembly – birminghampeoplesassembly@gmail.com
Birmingham Against The Cuts 