Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has called in the British Army to assist with the Birmingham bin crisis as an all-out strike by refuse workers continues. The strike, which began on March 11 in a dispute over pay and jobs, has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected and warnings of a public health emergency.
Birmingham City Council previously appealed to neighbouring authorities for assistance but the Government has now turned to the Army for help. It is understood a small number of Army planners are being assigned to provide temporary logistical support for a short period. However, they will be office-based and troops are not being deployed to collect rubbish.
The piles of rubbish have sparked concerns over public health (Image: Getty)
It comes as the Government has failed to strike an agreement with the union at the centre of the strikes.
Ms Rayner last week visited Birmingham and urged members of Unite to accept an “improved” deal while Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had “escalated way out of hand”.
The dispute has further strained relations between Labour and the union which refused to endorse the party’s 2024 manifesto after saying it didn’t go far enough to protect certain workers’ rights and jobs.
Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham last week hit out at “the constant attacks and briefings against these low-paid bin workers”.
According to Ms Graham, a partial deal on pay protection for some workers had already been agreed and has urged the council to accept a wider offer the union had put forward. A further ballot on a deal to end the strike is expected to take place on Monday.
One Labour frontbencher has accused Unite of holding Birmingham’s 1.2 million residents “to ransom”, The Telegraph reports.
Angela Rayner has urged the union to accept the new “improved” deal (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, senior Conservative Kevin Hollinrake has reportedly written to Labour demanding to know whether Ms Rayner will hand back £10,000 she received from Unite ahead of last year’s general election.
The Army support is set to be provided under what’s known as MACA – Military Aid to the Civil Authorities. Previous examples of MACAs include military support to flood releif efforts and the response to COVID-19.
A former head of the British Army has warned the military assistance to Birmingham could prove costly.
Lord Dannatt told The Telegraph: “We are the nation’s reserve pool of trained manpower and will do whatever the Government of the day decides.
“But it is not a cheap option. If saving life is not involved, the Ministry of Defence will charge whichever department of state had requested help – and we charge at full rates.”
He added he would be “very wary” of using military personnel to empty bins.
A Government spokesperson said: “The Government has already provided a number of staff to support the council with logistics and make sure the response on the ground is swift to address the associated public health risks.
“In light of the ongoing public health risk, a small number of office-based military personnel with operational planning expertise have been made available to Birmingham City Council to further support in this area.
“This builds on a range of measures we’ve supported the council on to date – including neighbouring authorities providing additional vehicles and crews, and opening household waste centres to Birmingham residents.”
