THE Birmingham bin workers’ strikes are set to continue after the council made a watered-down offer, Unite has said.

The union said that further negotiations will be necessary as the proposal is “clearly not in line” with figures discussed during meetings arranged by the conciliation service Acas.

Bin workers have been on all-out strike since March 11 against plans to downgrade some roles which will see them losing up to £8,000 a year, Unite says.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham pointed out that for some workers the sum could be a quarter of their pay, putting their mortgages, rents and livelihoods at risk.

She said: “The proposal is not in line with the ballpark offer discussed at conciliation and has clearly been watered down by the government commissioners and the leader of the council, who were not in the negotiating room.

“Numerous deadlines were missed. In fact, what was to be tabled 48 hours after the Acas talks arrived — as a much watered-down proposal — [on Friday] evening, three weeks later.

“Unite will be consulting with our reps over the weekend and will give a detailed response to this watered-down proposal in advance of a reconvened Acas meeting.

“The actual decision-makers now need to be in the room at the further Acas talks.”

Ms Graham said the treatment of the workers has been an “absolute disgrace and this Labour council and Labour government should hang their heads in shame.”

A Birmingham City Council spokeswoman denied that council leader John Cotton had watered down the offer.

She insisted the authority has made an updated fair and reasonable offer to Unite via Acas and that it remains “committed to reaching a negotiated settlement to end this dispute.”