BIRMINGHAM bin workers have “overwhelmingly” voted to extend their long-running strike until next March, Unite said today.

Refuse collectors in the city began their current action almost six months ago — having staged intermittent strikes since January — over plans to downgrade roles that would lead to losses of up to £8,000 in annual pay. Intermittent strike action in January

The latest ballot produced a 99.5 per cent vote in favour of strike action on a turnout of 72 per cent.

Talks brokered by conciliation service Acas in May led to an agreed “ball park” deal which would have ended the dispute, said a Unite spokesman, but council chief executive Joanne Roney later revealed that she could not get the deal past the effectively bankrupt authority’s government commissioners.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Throughout this dispute, the government has denied any involvement. 

“It is now clear that commissioners reporting to Angela Rayner blocked a ball park deal thrashed out at Acas.

“If Labour cannot see what is happening in Birmingham is wrong, it is little wonder workers are turning away from them in droves.

“Council workers are being lined up to pay the price for years of austerity.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was committed to supporting Birmingham’s “long-term transformation” and finding a sustainable resolution to equal pay issues.

“Our position remains clear,” a spokesperson said. “Unite should suspend the strike and work with the council on a sustainable way forward.”

A council spokeswoman said: “This is a service that needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve and we cannot delay this any longer.”