 "With streets overflowing with more than 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish, Birmingham has declared a ‘major incident’")
Rats the size of cats, mountains of bin bags, and residents clashing over waste collection—this is now the grim reality in Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city.
With streets overflowing with more than 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish, the city has declared a ‘major incident’ and vowed to send out teams of street cleaners and fly-tip removers to tackle the chaos. The crisis stems from an ongoing sanitation worker strike that has brought waste collection to a standstill.
But what’s driving the strike? What are the workers demanding? And how is Birmingham coping with the mess? Here’s a closer look at the situation.
Why are Birmingham streets overflowing with litter?
The situation has arisen due to a dispute between Birmingham’s city council and its waste collectors, dating back to December 2024, when the trade group Unite the Union announced a strike for 2025. The workers are protesting against pay cuts, a ban on overtime, and the removal of the waste recycling and collection officer (WRCO) role from the city’s fleets.
According to the council, this role does not exist in other local authorities and keeping it would create a “huge future equal pay liability.” Birmingham City Council had already declared effective bankruptcy in 2023, largely due to a massive equal pay bill.
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On March 28, the city released a statement saying, “All workers have been offered alternative employment at the same pay, driver training or voluntary redundancy.” However, Unite argues that 150 workers could lose up to £8,000 (Rs 8.84 lakh) per year under the council’s restructuring plans.
The council insists these changes are necessary to make the service financially sustainable, but the union strongly disagrees.
“Birmingham council could easily resolve this dispute but instead it seems hellbent on imposing its plan of demotions and pay cuts at all costs,” Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said in a statement on Monday. “If that involves spending far more than it would cost to resolve the strike fairly, they don’t seem to care.”
However, on Sunday, the talks between Unite and the council slumped to a new low, as the strikers were accused of blocking bin lorries driven by agency workers from leaving depots, severely hampering waste collection efforts. According to the council, at times, only one vehicle could get out per hour.
With daily picket lines preventing lorries from operating, more than 17,000 tonnes of rubbish continue to pile up across the city.
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, hit back at the council, accusing it of using “bullyboy tactics” and calling its actions “absolutely disgusting.” She reaffirmed that the striking workers would not back down
Birmingham declares ‘major incident’: What does it mean?
With rubbish piling up across the city, Birmingham City Council has declared a ‘major incident’ to tackle the waste crisis.
Council leader John Cotton acknowledged the drastic step, saying, “It’s regrettable that we have had to take this step, but we cannot tolerate a situation that is causing harm and distress to communities across Birmingham.”
While he emphasised respect for the right to strike, Cotton said the actions of some picketers were significantly impacting residents and the city’s environment. He added that without declaring a major incident and activating the council’s contingency plan, it would be impossible to clear the backlog of waste or restore regular collections.
According to council data, uncollected waste in the city increased from 483 tonnes per day in the week of March 10 to 655 tonnes per day in the week of March 17, and nearly 900 tonnes per day by March 24.
Experts warn that the waste build-up is becoming a “huge public health danger.” Grahame Turner, technical manager at the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA), advised residents to take their uncollected rubbish to the tip themselves.
Speaking to The Metro UK, Turner explained that rotting food serves as an “absolute banquet” for pests, including rats, mice, and even squirrels.
By declaring a major incident, the council can now bypass picket lines and ramp up street cleaning efforts. The plan includes deploying 35 additional vehicles and crews to remove fly-tipped waste and clear the streets.
The declaration also enables Birmingham to seek additional support from neighbouring councils and the government, while working with other agencies to manage health and fire risks caused by the worsening waste crisis.
The British government is closely monitoring the situation, according to Minister of Communities Jim McMahon. Speaking in Parliament on Monday, he confirmed that “well-established arrangements are in place for local areas to escalate issues where they do need support.”
McMahon added that if local leaders in Birmingham determine the crisis is beyond their available resources and formally request national assistance, “then of course we stand ready to respond to any such request.”
With input from agencies