“Demanding fairness”

A Unite rep, and striking bin worker, from Birmingham has addressed crowds at the annual James Connolly commemoration event in Edinburgh on Thursday (5th June).

The event took place outside 107 Cowgate on Connolly’s birthday, and featured speakers, music and a wreath laying in the trade union leader’s memory.

Striking Birmingham bin worker, Danny Taylor, addressed the crowd and thanked organisers for inviting him to speak at the event.

Danny said he has been proudly working for the city council for 25 years, and is one of two Unite reps at the Lyford Lane depot. He updated people on the latest situation for striking workers, the recent ballot result and the ongoing campaign.

Danny spoke of “the devastating austerity measures being forced on frontline workers, under the guise of so-called modernation.”

“Birmingham City Council is calling this a transformation of services, since when did slashing wages by up to £10,000 and increasing workload count as progress?”

He spoke about how workers have been “betrayed and lied to” and now “treated like criminals.”

Danny also had a warning for council workers across the country when he said, “We are not demanding more, we are demanding fairness.”

“If they get away with this in Birmingham, other councils will follow. Birmingham City Council is a test run for a nationwide race to the bottom!”

“This isn’t just about bin workers anymore, it’s about every council worker in the UK. Because if we fall, the dominoes will fall everywhere.”

Thanking the solidarity and support from fellow unions and communities that has “lifted us”, Danny raised his fist in the air and told the assembled crowd on Cowgate that, “We will not back down. 

“We will not be broken,

“We stand united and we will win!”

“Solidarity!”

Following the commemoration event Danny went straight to George Fort Bridge to speak at another solidarity event at the Augustine Church organised by Unite for a Workers Economy and other support groups.

At the event Danny went into further detail into what is happening and how it can affect all the country if the bin workers don’t win their campaign.

Danny is the latest bin worker to take the bin workers message across the country following other talks across the country, including London last month. 

By Keith Hatch

Photos by Craig Mclean