West Midlands Mayor accuses Birmingham City Council officials of hampering bin strike deal

Richard Parker spoke exclusively to ITV News Central about who he thinks is responsible for the Birmingham bin strikes still not being resolved.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has criticised Birmingham City Council officials, accusing them of slowing efforts to end the long-running bin strike.

Speaking exclusively to ITV News Central, Labour’s Parker said the process had been undermined by “frustration, obfuscation and delay”.

The comments come after council leader John Cotton said a deal with Unite the Union was “within sight” on Monday.

But the council press office later said Cotton had been speaking on behalf of the Labour Party, not the authority itself – pointing to a divide between elected members and officers.

Criticising officers and government-appointed commissioners, Parker said: “I don’t think some very important people at the council have put enough work and effort into it. Almost eight or nine months passed without anyone engaging with Unite.

“You’ll have to ask officers and commissioners why they didn’t put that work and that effort in… why they didn’t take what was needed as seriously and why they were not as committed to it as they should have been.”

Asked if he backed the Mayor’s comments, Cotton said: “I would like to thank the Mayor for the constructive role that he has played in this breakthrough following months of frustration which means the end of the dispute is within sight.

“I remain committed to continue working with officers, who have been doing complex work to navigate a challenging situation, to deliver this deal after the election through the formal processes.”

Commissioners were brought in by the Conservative government after the council declared effective bankruptcy in 2023. Part of their role is to improve industrial relations, though some believe relations have only worsened.

ITV News Central understands officials argued they couldn’t include one-off compensation payments in any deal with striking workers, amid fears the council could face wider equal pay claims or be unable to afford similar payouts to other staff.

Lead Commissioner Tony McArdle said: “Commissioners have long been concerned at the lack of contact between the Council and Unite. We have pushed the Council to have a plan for resolving this dispute that would make negotiations with Unite viable.

"That pressure helped get the two parties to discussions at a political level. We will continue to assist the Council in seeking a negotiated settlement to this dispute... We share the frustration that this has gone on for too long.”

The Lib Dems say it’s a cheap shot to blame officers, pointing out that Labour has been in control at every level of government throughout the strike.

Questions have previously been raised about whether officers are acting in line with the priorities of elected councillors.

Former council leader John Clancy stood down in 2017 following criticism of his handling of industrial action by refuse workers.

He said: “I’m not at all surprised, it's happened before, it happened to me. Officers of Birmingham City Council are essentially refusing to carry out the lawful instructions of the political leadership.

“They don't see the leader in the cabinet as being their master. They see their master as the permanent secretary in London, the faceless bureaucrats in the local government establishment elite who are actually running Birmingham at the moment.”

Some critics of Clancy argue officers were right to challenge aspects of his approach, and that some of Birmingham’s current equal pay issues stem from decisions taken during his leadership.

He insists he was undermined by officers and that he was entitled to try to reach a resolution with Unite the Union.

Ahead of next week’s council elections, he said: “You should obviously go out and vote, but actually, the impact of your vote will not be as significant as it should be because officers and a chief commissioner are in charge, and you can’t throw them out next week.”

A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said: “The council has a duty to act responsibly with the use of taxpayers' money as any other council would. We note Unite's comments in the media.

"Any proposals to resolve the dispute must be examined through the council’s formal governance arrangements, which will require a formal decision of the council’s cabinet after the 7 May local elections.”

The Greens argue Labour is playing a blame game, pointing fingers at everyone but themselves and say the government could remove the commissioners if it chose to.

Reform UK claims the situation has escalated only after its own talks with Unite the Union, which they say has increased pressure on Labour.

"This deal could have been done a lot earlier"

Richard Parker added, “I remain concerned about decisions like this not being carried out in a professional, rigorous way.

“My biggest concern is that too much responsibility for resolving this dispute resided with officers and commissioners that, frankly, were under little to no scrutiny, didn’t operate in a transparent way and, frankly, face no jeopardy.

“That is one of the main underlying reasons why this dispute has been left unresolved for so long.”

Since the start of the year, talks have been under way to revive a deal that was close to agreement last summer. Unite the Union has praised the involvement of Lord Brendan Barber, who has helped mediate discussions.

Those talks involved Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, Cotton and Parker, but not council officers.

Parker added: “I know that if the team at the council had really put the work and effort in, and approached this in the way that myself, Brendan and John have been since the turn of the year, this deal could have been done a lot earlier.”

The Conservatives say instead of criticising officials who are unable to respond during the pre-election period, Richard Parker should explain how much he plans to cover the council for in potential equal pay and discrimination claims arising from a deal he is reported to have helped negotiate.

Watch Lewis Warner's full report on ITVX

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