The long-running Birmingham bins strike has taken a dramatic new turn as a prominent community activist has called for residents to launch a council tax boycott in protest at the ongoing disruption to waste collection services. Bishop Dr. Desmond Jaddoo MBE, a chief organiser of the industrial action, made the controversial appeal during an 'enough is enough' rally held outside the council house in Victoria Square on Tuesday, January 27th.
Rallying Cry for Action
Addressing a crowd of striking bin workers and their supporters, Bishop Jaddoo posed pointed questions about the council's service delivery. "Do you think the residents of Birmingham have had enough? Do you believe Birmingham City Council is doing those residents a service that they deserve?" he demanded, receiving a resounding chorus of "No!" from the assembled protesters.
The activist specifically urged Brummies who are financially able to withhold their council tax payments starting from April 1st, 2026. "Refuse collection is a core service that people pay for through their council tax and Birmingham City Council is failing to deliver it," he declared in a subsequent statement.
Council's Firm Response
Birmingham City Council, which is Labour-run, has responded firmly to the boycott threat, reminding residents of their legal obligations. "It is a legal responsibility to pay council tax and we urge people to continue doing this," the authority stated. "The current situation is the result of industrial action taken by Unite the union, not due to the council's actions."
The council has maintained throughout the dispute that it made a fair offer to workers before negotiations concluded last summer. At that time, officials stated they had "reached the absolute limit of what we can offer" while expressing concerns about equal pay implications.
Mounting Financial Costs
The industrial action, which has now lasted approximately twelve months, is proving increasingly costly for the local authority. A recent report by the council's director of finance Carol Culley has revealed that the strike's forecast one-off and direct costs will total £14.6 million if it continues until the end of March.
These substantial expenses include street cleansing operations, security costs, and additional support required to tackle the accumulation of waste throughout the city. The council plans to meet these costs using a combination of reserves and corporate underspends, adding further pressure to finances for an authority that declared itself effectively bankrupt back in September 2023.
Roots of the Dispute
The dispute originally sparked over the loss of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer role, with striking workers claiming they face pay cuts of around £8,000 - a figure the council has consistently disputed. Despite ongoing negotiations between the authority and Unite the union, no resolution has been reached, leaving Birmingham's streets facing continued disruption to bin collections.
Bishop Jaddoo expressed particular concern about the council's ability to implement planned reforms while basic services remain disrupted. "With the reforms they have announced, one has to ask: how on earth can they deliver those successfully when the basics are all over the place?" he questioned. "This state of affairs is no longer acceptable – the people of Birmingham deserve far better than this."
As the standoff continues, with protesters' cries of "clean our city" echoing around Victoria Square, the situation represents one of the most significant industrial disputes in recent Birmingham history, with implications for both service delivery and civic finances.
