Coming to a street near you? Birmingham bin strikes could spread across the COUNTRY, union leader warns

Bin strikes could soon spread across the country from Birmingham, a trade union leader warned yesterday.

Clare Keogh, of Unite, said anger at council cuts was growing nationwide among refuse workers and there was massive potential this will escalate.

Her comments will alarm ministers as well as households, with the Conservatives attempting to turn upcoming local elections into a referendum on rubbish over the failure of Labour-run Birmingham City Council to get residents bins emptied.

She spoke as the all-out strike over job and pay cuts by some 400 Unite members in Englands second city entered its fifth week, with fears the warmer weather will increase the health risks posed by an estimated 17,000 tonnes of uncollected waste and soaring rat population.

Union chiefs met council bosses yesterday after holding recent talks with senior ministers. 

But with no end to the dispute in sight, Ayoub Khan, independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, yesterday called for the Army to be sent in after firemen refused to break the strike.

Unite members in Sheffield have also been on strike since August, forcing the closure of the citys recycling centres.

And Ms Keogh, Unites local government spokesman, said ballots for industrial action were now being considered elsewhere. 

People dispose of their rubbish using a mobile refuse collection service in Yardley Wood Road, Billesley, Birmingham

Local residents deliver rubbish to mobile collection vehicles in Erdington, Birmingham

Cras line up for the mobile refuse collection service in Yardley Wood Road

She told The I Paper: In Birmingham, and many other councils... our members have been prepared to walk out, saying "this isnt good enough" and "were not going to take any more cuts".

She added: Anger is growing, and were seeing that in the increasing number of strike ballots were taking forward. 

If the Government doesnt get a grip on it, that will definitely escalate.

Unions are expecting a response to pay claims for council workers across the UK, and Ms Keogh warned of further strikes if they were offered deals below inflation.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said last night that the Government has consistently urged the council and Unite to sit down an resolve the dispute.