00:00The dispute between Birmingham City Council and Unite the Union has left thousands of households struggling with waste collections.
00:09Unite members have voted now to extend their action until March 2026, meaning it could continue for at least another six months.
00:20While household rubbish is now mostly being picked up, recycling has not been collected since January
00:26and garden waste collections remain suspended, though payments for that service have been refunded.
00:33Residents say the situation has forced them to find alternatives.
00:37Some have been placing recyclable items in their general waste bins,
00:41while others are driving to local tips or even taking their rubbish to work.
00:47The union says the action was sparked by the removal of waste recycling and collection officers' rolls,
00:53which they claim could leave around 170 workers up to £8,000 worse off per year.
01:02The council disputes this, saying only 17 people would lose just over £6,000 annually,
01:08with six months of pay protection offered.
01:12Back in March, a major incident was declared to deal with the build-up of rubbish across the city.
01:17The council says household waste collections are now running to schedule,
01:21and its advice is to leave bins out as normal,
01:24with a promise to return as soon as possible if any are missed.
01:29Campaigners, however, argue that some parts of Birmingham are still seeing waste pile up,
01:34with vermin and public health concerns being raised.
01:37Calls have now been made for an independent inquiry
01:40into the wider impact of the ongoing strike.
01:43We'll see you next time.
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