BIRMINGHAM City Council must “come to its senses,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said today as fresh talks aimed resolving the seven-week-long bin workers’ strike got under way.

She said that the Labour-run authority’s leader John Cotton needed to be in the negotiating room to resolve the indefinite stoppage over council plans to abolish the role of waste recycling and collection officer.

Speaking before the talks restarted under the auspices of conciliation service Acas, Ms Graham, who is leading the union’s negotiating team, said: “Please get the decision-makers in the room — John Cotton needs to be in the room, along with the commissioner [Max Caller], who seems to be somebody who’s got a lot to say about the dispute.

“Actually, be true to what you’ve said to the public. You’ve said to the public that nobody needs to lose any pay.

“Either that’s true — and if it is, please put that down — or it isn’t. And if it’s a lie, then [Mr Cotton] should step down.”

Speaking outside the union’s regional office in Birmingham, Ms Graham added: “He has not yet been in the negotiating room and he needs to be, so we can get this dispute solved.

“He is the leader of the council; this is happening to his residents. 

“When you’re the leader, then you must take the accountability and the responsibility.”

Mr Cotton has previously made clear that he would not take part in the negotiations.

Ms Graham insisted that Unite was “here to do a deal,” but the ball was in the council’s court.

“There are things that need to be ironed out. This isn’t a council that looks to me as though they want to solve this dispute,” she added.

“Forty-eight hours ago, they announce the drivers who are likely to be losing £8,000. Why would you do that 48 hours before talks are due to take place?”

Last week, Unite said it believed a deal to end the industrial action could be “within touching distance,” but that was before the row over driver pay flared up.

The council says it is “undertaking a fair and transparent job evaluation process of the driver/team leader role, working with all trade union partners to ensure a fair outcome.”