Birmingham bin drivers offered voluntary redundancy 'in attempt to break strike'
Birmingham 's striking bin lorry drivers are being offered voluntary redundancy in a fresh attempt by the City Council to resolve the all-out dispute. Birmingham City Council said a "large number of expressions of interest" had been received from bin workers, and offers of financial packages were currently being issued.It said this was part of "service redesigns across the council." More than two hundred drivers work at the three city depots in Kings Norton, Tyseley and Perry Barr.Unite the Union said that the offer of redundancies "is not a resolution - and if there is a genuine redundancy situation, it would always make sense to release the agency workers first."It comes as bin workers said they would "strike for the rest of the year or as long as it takes to get a fair deal."The bin strike, which started in January over pay and the removal of roles, was before all-out industrial action began on March 11.
"They are rushing it through"
Despite talks to resolve the situation, no deal has yet been struck.Unite has since claimed that Government commissioners are "blocking" a deal from being made to end the dispute.One grade-four city driver said "Emails have been going out (within the last week) with figures."They (the council) are trying to break the strike that way by offering the VR."They are rushing it through. I just think they are trying to reduce the numbers on the picket lines."Some of these workers are long term. Some might take it (if they are near retirement), but it all depends on individual circumstances."
A City Council spokesperson said "Voluntary redundancy options have been offered to workers as part of service redesigns across the council throughout the last year."A large number of expressions of interest in voluntary redundancy have been received from within the waste service, and we are following our usual processes in progressing those expressions of interest to offers over the coming weeks.'
"The offer of redundancies is not a resolution" A Unite spokesperson said 'The Council need to prioritise the resolution of the current dispute."The offer of redundancies is not a resolution. If there is a genuine redundancy situation, it would always make sense to release the agency workers first."This would be a normal process, especially as there are significant agency numbers engaged."Any redundancy proposals must be wrapped in with a proposal from the Council to resolve the dispute, as was agreed at ACAS.'
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