Anmolpreet Bajwa, Birmingham Socialist Party
On Saturday 20 September, Unite the Union held a national rally in support of the striking Birmingham bin workers. Taking place in Birmingham city centre, over 1,000 gathered outside the Unite offices before marching to the council house in Victoria Square.
This came after the strikers’ second reballot, which saw a resounding 99.5% vote in favour of continued strike action.
The energetic march directly aimed anger and frustration at the Labour council. Speeches, chants, and performances highlighted the depth of the workers’ grievances.
A common theme expressed by those striking was the shock and disappointment at the stark difference between the Labour Party of today and the Labour Party of the past. Many cannot fathom how far removed the party has become from its working-class roots.
Only 5% of residents are intending to vote for Labour in next year’s local elections, according to polling by Unite, as Brummies have become increasingly disillusioned with the council’s poor handling of the bin strike and with cuts to public services.
These workers have shown great resilience – it takes great strength to picket every single day and attend rallies such as this, while having been ignored by the council for several months.
This ongoing bin strike has been one of the longest in Birmingham’s recent history. Although the refuse workers were thrust into the limelight and celebrated during the Covid pandemic as key workers, the council is intentionally not negotiating with them. The workers have voted to extend the strike mandate past Christmas and into spring 2026.
Besides the strong feelings of anger, however, the bin workers were massively encouraged by the public support they’ve received. Socialist Party members from across the UK joined the event, travelling from as far north as Glasgow and as down south as London.
As victimised bin rep Mike Masters states: “This city wasn’t built on suits and ties, it was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of working-class people”, a sentiment that resonated strongly throughout the day and serves as a reminder of the struggle that continues.
The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) says:
“The NSSN proudly marched with the striking bin workers, their friends, families and supporters.
The Birmingham bin workers were delighted to see that their Unite comrades from the Sheffield Veolia struggle had made the journey down to offer full support. The rally speakers included Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, bin worker shop stewards, and Unite Executive Committee member Kathy Smith.
The workers have been on indefinite strike since March after being threatened with pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year, and are facing brutal strike-breaking measures by the Labour council, backed by Starmer’s Labour government. Solidarity is even more essential as the council effectively threatens to ‘fire and rehire’ the workers.”
