Birmingham City Council has declared a major incident over the ongoing bin strike that has been plaguing the city. The council estimates 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected.

Members of the Unite union in Birmingham are holding an all-out strike which has led to rubbish piling up in the streets.
The council says daily blocking of its depots by pickets has meant workers cannot get their vehicles out to collect waste from residents and declaring a major incident will initially increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tip removal with an additional 35 vehicles and crews around the city.

The major incident will also allow the council to explore what further support is available from neighbouring authorities and the Government to assist in the management of the situation. Council leader John Cotton said: “It’s regrettable that we have had to take this step but we cannot tolerate a situation that is causing harm and distress to communities across Birmingham.”

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