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Unite leader asks why councillors are not facing a pay cut after Rayner backs ‘improved’ Birmingham bin strike deal
Furniture and uncollected refuse bags in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham, amid an ongoing refuse workers' strike in the city, March 17, 2025

UNITE leader Sharon Graham has asked why councillors are not facing a 25 per cent pay cut after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner urged striking Birmingham bin collectors to accept an “improved” deal.

Members of the union launched an all-out strike last month in a bitter dispute over pay and jobs, which has led to the declaration of a public health emergency in the city.

As Ms Rayner, also Local Government Secretary, met with volunteers clearing up their area on Thursday, she said: “The people of Birmingham are our first priority — this dispute is causing misery and disruption to residents and the backlog must be dealt with quickly to address public health risks.

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