“The incredible Unite bin workers in Birmingham continue to take strike action.”
By Henry Fowler, Strike Map
After 8 months of strike action, and all out strike action since March, the incredible Unite bin workers in Birmingham continue to take strike action.
Strike Map and many others have been resolute in support of these heroes. This dispute matters. It’s a national dispute with national consequences for all workers. As local government has faced over a decade and half of cuts, council employers will be looking at Birmingham as a test case for further cuts and destruction of local services. Unless we stop them.
This group of strikers have been threatened with pay cuts of up to £10,000, with more and more grades affected on a near weekly basis, as government backed commissioners and Birmingham council deliver their cuts bit by bit.
It’s not just the council and their commissioners these workers are facing down, it’s central Government. Before her sacking, Angela Rayner MP, once a self proclaimed stalwart of the trade union movement, visited this city several times, ‘shaking hands and kissing commissioners’, ignoring the growing picket lines.
We have joined with large parts of the trade union movement in raising vital funds to support these workers, and have worked hard to unite the whole movement into using our collective power to support these workers.
This has included the famous ‘Megapickets’, in May and July, which have drawn trade unionists from across the country, including many leaders to block trucks and shut sites. We also organised a letter to Angela Rayner signed by 25 trade unions, showing the depth of support for these workers within our movement.
These solidarity actions are important because of the anti-union laws banning and weakening our culture of secondary action, and because the cowardly council have used the courts to haunt the successful picketing by workers taking action. Meaning delaying ‘scab wagons’ makes Unite liable to huge fines and potential prison time. All in an attempt to nullify the power of the workers involved and damage their commitment.
It hasn’t worked, on 2 September by a margin of 99% in favour on a 72% turnout,, these incredible strikers renewed their mandate and with many calling for it, have announced a national demonstration on Saturday 20 September. We will support these workers in marching to the council chambers before a demonstration, showing the support these class fighters have.
This is a chance for all those who have been unable to attend one of our mega pickets to support this strike. Groups across the country are organising transport with Strike Map and unite for a workers economy organising a coach from London, book your seats here.
If we don’t get behind this dispute and make this demonstration huge, we risk undermining all the incredible collective power and solidarity action we have been growing together over the last 8 months.
Many people often quote Luxemburg’s “socialism or barbarism,” on this occasion it’s “back the brum strikers or barbarism.”
See you on 20 September. Bring your comrades.
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