Don’t let commissioners block bins deal

In a surprising turn on 20 March, former Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton called for negotiations to resume in the Birmingham bins strike after a year of incalcitrance. But after 7 May the council is in No Overall Control.

The deal now on the table still leaves the possibility of role deletion/downgrading, but now with two years grace period rather than six months. However, there are major wins.

Agency workers in post for a year or more will be given a path to permanent employment, and legal and disciplinary proceedings will be ceased (except one case of gross misconduct, which will be reviewed). Of course we can wonder if guarantees exist to prevent victimisation of reps, or what assurances there will be that agency workers will actually get those permanent contracts.

The “ballpark deal” is quite similar to the Acas deal months ago, which was quashed by government-appointed commissioners, despite interim approval by the union and the council leadership. Now the council and Unite have put out interim statements of intent to try to forestall further blocking by the commissioners.

But why are the commissioners even a factor? The council has made a balanced budget for 2026-7, and by some estimations always could have done.

Reform

After making overtures to the bin workers, Reform announced at the eleventh hour that they wouldn’t back the deal, and unsurprisingly the Tories were never on board. Reform is the biggest group on the council now, but has said it sees “no viable route” to winning the council leader post.

Of course, the deal is also subject to approval by the workers themselves - which they might not do, pushing for a better deal, although avenues to escalate further are unclear, and the union is likely to see this deal as a victory.

Pressure needs to mount on the commissioners to stop blocking the deal, and the government to remove the commissioners. GMB is also making noises about strikes against the council, but that’s probably a way off. With better union cooperation, if the bin dispute is dragged on, local government workers entering disputes would join up with the bin strike and take mass joint action with the ultimate goal to throw out the commissioners.

But immediately Birmingham needs a broad, inclusive anti-cuts campaign capable of pressuring the commissioners to allow the deal, and the government to restore funding.