The Birmingham Refuse Collectors' Strike

Allira

Casdon

It really isn’t an issue the government should need to be involved in at all. Birmingham City Council, the employees involved and their union representatives need to slug it out. From what I’ve read, I think the council are in the right, except that they should agree a longer pay protection period where people are losing significant amounts.

The Local Government Minister could be involved - otherwise what is the point of his job?

This is part of the job description:
Promoting Good Governance:
Ensuring that local authorities operate effectively and transparently, and that services are delivered efficiently and equitably.

He is involved, but I’m unconvinced he should be, given the description of his role you provided. His role is one of oversight rather than resolving operational management disputes, which is what this is.

He could surely order them to sort it out and give a deadline.
Or send someone in to arbitrate.

He is involved already. According to Birmingham Live:
‘Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon visited (Thursday) to 'discuss interventions to rapidly improve the situation on the ground for residents'.’

I want to move from Birmingham because of their council. They throw and waste money on stupid ventures as mentioned by Kate. They are not interested in the ordinary working people who pay their bills. Give tgem a mad scheme and the money comes.. The money they save on the strikers should have been used to clean the streets. The back log is dreadful. People dumping mattresses and fly tipping should be dealt with most severely, fined, if they won’t sort their rubbish, a simple enough task, perhaps they will in future have to take it to the tip themselves, it should be a crime to be so anti social that it effects your area. No one should be collecting bags with food, overspilling unwrapped nappies etc. Disgusting.