Birmingham City Council has obtained a court order to prevent further protests at its bin lorry depots as tensions escalate in a prolonged pay dispute with refuse workers.
The interim injunction, granted on Friday evening, restricts demonstrators from obstructing vehicles and disrupting operations at waste collection sites. The order will remain in place until Thursday, when a further legal hearing is expected.
The council stated the move was necessary following an uptick in disruption last week, which it attributed to a reduced police presence at the depots. According to the local authority, protesters had been physically blocking refuse vehicles, leading to delays in collections and heightened concern over public services.
Unite the union, which represents many of the council workers involved, has strongly defended its members, maintaining that all protest activity on the picket lines has remained peaceful and within the law. The union is yet to comment formally on the injunction itself but has criticised the council’s handling of the dispute.
The row between Birmingham City Council and its waste collection staff has been simmering for months, rooted in disagreements over pay structures and working conditions. Unite claims that refuse workers are being unfairly treated following a shake-up in job roles, with some staff reportedly facing pay reductions or regrading disputes.
This dispute follows on from a previous bin strike in Birmingham in 2017, which saw weeks of uncollected rubbish piling up across the city. The resolution of that dispute cost the council millions and left a lingering distrust between the local authority and its refuse teams.
Now, with industrial action once again affecting waste collection, residents across Birmingham are facing disruptions to essential services. While the council insists it is doing everything possible to maintain operations, the ongoing protests and legal action suggest a resolution is still some way off.
City leaders have called for continued dialogue between all parties involved, though the union argues that the council must first address the core issues surrounding pay fairness and staff treatment.
As the legal hearing approaches, all eyes remain on Thursday’s court proceedings to see whether the injunction will be extended — or if the protest restrictions will be lifted.
