Without wishing to stir things up for Unison and Birmingham Council, it seemed worth checking out bin-related online expenditure data.
Birmingham Council says, so it must be true: “We strongly refute any suggestion that agency workers have been carrying out work normally undertaken by striking workers. We continue to deploy the same number of agency workers on days of action as it we would on any normal working days.”
Odd, though, as the cost of agency workers listed under the heading ‘fleet and waste operations’ was £7.1 million in the first six months of 2024 and £13.1 million in the same period this year.
Total spending under the heading ‘fleet and waste operations’ was £38.3 million in the first six months of 2025 compared with £35.8 million at the same time last year.
An appalling cynic might think that, as the bin strike drags on, the council is spending a small fortune filling the void with temporary binpersons despite its strong refutation.
I did ask the council if there was any explanation for the rise in the employment of agency staff other than the obvious but, as usual, answer came there none.
Unite claims the strike is over plans to downgrade 171 people at a cost to each dustperson of £8,000 a year, ie £1.4 million (the council says only 17 people would lose £6,000 each, ie £102,000). Meanwhile, one way and another, Extra Personnel Ltd is cleaning up.
As it’s a nostalgic month for Birmingham music (Black Sabbath, ELO) here’s a Longbridge-inspired ditty (RIP Dave Cousins):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J56IicSNuEY
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