Stop this rubbish!

Striking bin workers will be marching through the centre of Birmingham on Saturday (20 Sept) to demand an end to the dispute that has been crippling the city’s rubbish collections for over six months.?

The striking workers taking to the streets will be joined by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham along with Unite colleagues and trade union supporters from across the country.?

Supporters are being asked to assemble at 9.30 at the Unite the union offices on Jennens Road (Birmingham, B7 4EH), and ready to set off at 10.00 where they will march to Victoria Square.

In a powerful speech at this week’s TUC Congress in Brighton the general secretary took the opportunity to remind delegates why bin workers in Birmingham had been on strike, saying, 

?Let?s remind ourselves what this dispute is about ? workers that woke up one morning and told to accept an ?8,000 pound a year pay cut ? a quarter of their pay. This will mean homes gone. Mortgages and rent that cannot be paid.

?Workers out there fighting for their families? very existence and being told by Labour that the council could not afford the cost to end the dispute.

?A Labour council, backed by our Labour government, using Thatcher?s anti-trade union laws to try and break picket lines. Spending millions on scab labour and injuncting those same picket lines.

?Make no mistake, if they get away with this in Birmingham it will spread.?

Striking bin workers also attended TUC Congress, where they spoke to delegates at the Unite the union stand, as well as being warmly received at a number of fringe meetings where they spoke to explain the situation to delegates.?

More details about the rally for Birmingham bin workers on 20 September can be found here. 

By Keith Hatch

Photos by Mark Thomas