A MEGAPICKET organised by Strike Map in support of the striking Birmingham bin workers will close down all the city’s refuse sites this morning as thousands of trade unionists are expected to attend the biggest show of support since their walkouts began last January.

The Labour-run council recently estimated the dispute over plans to cut their annual pay by up to £8,000 has cost taxpayers at least £33 million. 

Yesterday Unite revealed the authority now faces paying several millions of pounds more after more than 400 legal claims were lodged at an employment court on behalf of affected workers.

Unite convener in Birmingham Matthew Reid told the Morning Star the closure of all depot sites was a major victory.

“It’s absolutely brilliant the solidarity and support we’ve received,” he said.

“They just give up because we do control all of the depots and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

“It’s things like this that build us up, it’s when our voice is heard. It makes a big difference when we see so many people come to support us, things like this really boosts morale.”

He added that he believed Labour’s days “are numbered” in Birmingham ahead of the local elections in May as their attempts to break the strikes have shown “they are just Labour in name.”

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said that Labour is “facing annihilation in Birmingham. 

“The vast majority of people see exactly where the blame lies. The people of Birmingham think the council has handled this in an absolutely shambolic manner. 

“All of this is going to be in the minds of people come the elections: it’s a Labour administration, not just attacking workers… but it’s one that has spent around £33m of taxpayers’ money trying to break the strike.”

The legal claims, which were lodged due to a mandatory three-month time limit, are “about the fire and rehire process used by a Labour council under a Labour government that said it would get rid of fire and rehire,” added Mr Kasab.

There was a “sham consultation process” at the end of last year that allegedly sent out letters to workers giving the results of the consultation on the day it began.

“It’s worse than a shambles,” said Mr Kasab.

The council has insisted that settling the case would mean it would have to pay out further equal pay claims.

Thousands of its female staff are currently waiting to hear how much of more than £250m they will receive following an equal pay settlement 13 years after a landmark court ruling in 2012.

But Mr Kasab said that Unite is “absolutely 100 per cent confident” the council would not have to make further payouts by settling the strikes.

He explained Unite’s case would be that such claims could be made on a case that had not already been settled.

“The only way it can actually happen is you make a claim for indirect sex discrimination. The chances of winning that claim are nil… our legal advisers are 100 per cent confident about that,” he added.

Green party leader Zack Polanski, Your Party MP Zarah Sultana and Labour MP John McDonnell will address the mass picket organised by Strike Map.

The worker-funded organisation received texts sent from the council to agency workers yesterday confirming that it has suspended all refuse services due to the picket on health and safety grounds.

Strike Map co-founder Henry Fowler said: “Our megapickets are growing with every action we take. This strike has united three political parties, the labour movement and the people of Birmingham in condemning the cuts imposed by this council and its commissioners. 

“We want to be absolutely clear: we will be back again, and again, and again until these workers win. We stand with the Birmingham bin strikers.”

National unions have also pledged full support. 

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to intervene and bring the dispute to an end.

The leader of the Labour-affiliated union said: “Mass trade union action is powerful. ‘Megapicket 3-D’ is a timely reminder of how solidarity can force change. 

“The FBU will continue to support Birmingham’s refuse workers, and as a Labour Party affiliate we are calling on the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to end this long-running dispute.”

A council spokesman said: “We have received a number of legal claims from Unite, which the council intends to contest.

“Unite’s demands would leave us with another equal pay bill of hundreds of millions of pounds, which is totally unacceptable, and would jeopardise the considerable progress we have made in our financial recovery.”

He claimed the majority of affected workers had accepted the changes to their jobs.