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Regional secretary with the National Education Union
Unite urges government to intervene in the Birmingham bin strikes
Furniture and uncollected refuse bags in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham, amid an ongoing refuse workers' strike in the city, March 17, 2025

UNITE has criticised the government for washing its hands of the nearly month-long Birmingham bin strikes.

General secretary Sharon Graham has told Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner that it can not say it is “nothing to do with us … we can’t get involved.”

The strike over the council’s planned restructuring of Birmingham’s refuse service has left more than 17,000 tonnes of waste on city streets and leading to a “major incident” being declared.

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Sharon Graham at the Unite policy conference 2025
Unite Policy Conference 2025 / 9 July 2025
9 July 2025

Sharon Graham addresses the Unite policy conference after talks over the Birmingham bin strikes break down