Agency staff covering for Birmingham bin strike vote to take industrial action

Agency refuse workers brought in to cover for Birmingham's long-running bin strike have voted to take industrial action themselves over claims of bullying and harassment.

Hundreds of members of Unite in Birmingham have been on all-out strike since March in a dispute over pay and jobs.

Now, Unite claim a growing number of agency staff were refusing to cross the picket lines of the striking workers because of "unsustainable workloads" and a bullying workplace culture at the council's refuse department.

On Monday, agency staff voted to join official picket lines, from 1 December. Birmingham City Council denies the Unite claims about the department.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "This is a real escalation in the dispute with agency workers now joining picket lines due to the terrible way they have been treated by Job and Talent and Birmingham council."

Birmingham City Council previously denied the allegations and said it did not "condone any actions which are contrary to legislation and good employment practice."

Unite union members in the city began a full walkout seven months ago, and in September voted to extend their action until March.

Last month, the union accused senior council managers of threatening to blacklist agency staff who refuse to cross the striking bin workers' picket line.

Footage was shared showing a manager from Job and Talent telling staff that council chiefs will ban them from jobs.