Title

UNIONS

Hundreds of Birmingham refuse workers to strike weekly

More than 300 refuse workers have announced they will begin two days of strike action a week in an escalation of the ongoing industrial dispute with Birmingham City Council.

More than 300 refuse workers have announced they will begin two days of strike action a week in an escalation of the ongoing industrial dispute with Birmingham City Council.

Unite said the decision to carry out regular strikes, beginning later this month, was in response to a payment the council made to workers who did not participate in a three-month walkout in 2017.

Assistant general secretary at Unite, Howard Beckett, said: ‘Unite's members have taken the decision to move to full strike action as a last resort due to the council's refusal to make a fair offer to resolve this dispute.'

The 2017 walk out was over Birmingham City Council's restructuring plans.

UNIONS

Rethinking the public servant for the AI era

By Stephen Jeffares | 07 August 2026

AI has become far more capable over the past decade, but human public servants remain central to local government. Instead of replacing people, the broader q...

UNIONS

Burnham announces social care workforce reform plans

By Martin Ford | 29 July 2026

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been urged to exercise caution following his announcement of ‘wider reform’ of the social care workforce.

UNIONS

Will Burnham's drive to build homes be successful?

By David Blackman | 28 July 2026

Like several Prime Ministers before him, Andy Burnham has pledged to build new homes. That will not happen without local authorities and they have been out o...

UNIONS

The problem with housing: Viability

By Heather Jameson | 17 July 2026

Uncertainty, viability and devolution: local authorities face a collection of hurdles and opportunities when it comes to delivering much-needed housing. The ...

Popular articles by William Eichler