Walked out to put my bins out last Tuesday morning and nearly tripped over a massive rat. Size of a proper cat, it was. Sitting there bold as brass next to a mountain of rubbish bags that’s been growing outside my neighbour’s house for weeks. Just life in Birmingham at the moment. It is five months into these Birmingham bin strikes, and the city looks like something from a disaster movie. Mountains of rubbish as far as the eye can see. The small when the wind is in the wrong direction? Absolutely grim.
What’s All This About Then?
The Birmingham bin strikes began in March 2025 when refuse workers downed tools over pay cuts. Unite the Union estimates 150-170 of their members are looking at pay reductions of up to £8,000 annually. That is not pocket change to working people. The council wants to get rid of Waste Recycling and Collection Officer roles. Sounds boring, but apparently these jobs are important for health and safety. Workers say downgrading these positions puts everyone at risk. My mate Dave works for the council in a different department. Says the place is absolutely skint after declaring bankruptcy. Over a pint last week, he said: ‘They’re cutting everything.’ “Surely you can’t make people take huge pay cuts and expect them to be happy, I mean, really?”
The State of the Streets
It’s properly grim out there. 17,000 tonnes of rubbish had built up on the streets in March when the council declared a major incident. Seventeen thousand tonnes! That’s almost a small mountain of rubbish strewn across Britain’s second-largest city. Considering some areas, my street’s not too bad. You have likely seen pics on Facebook of places that are all but post-apocalypse. Bags stacked taller than automobiles, bins bursting at the seams and stuff blowing all over the place. The rats are mental though. My neighbour Jean says she saw one the size of a small dog last week. Might be exaggerating, but honestly, some of these things are massive. Council keeps saying they’re dealing with pest control, but how can you control pests when there’s food everywhere for them? Had to drive the kids to school a different way because the usual route stinks so bad it makes you gag.
Government Steps In
Things got so bad they called in the Army. Not soldiers marching about with rifles, but office-based military planners to help with logistics. Imagine that. Britain’s second biggest city needing military help to deal with rubbish collection. Other councils are sending help too. Saw trucks from Coventry and Solihull picking up bags around Erdington last week. Must be costing a fortune, but what choice do they have? Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner supports the council’s position, which has properly wound up the union. They’re even reviewing their relationship with the Labour Party over it. That’s how bitter this whole thing’s become.
What’s It Like Living Through This?
Honestly? It’s affecting everything. Can’t open windows when it’s hot because of the smell. Kids don’t want to walk to school through piles of rubbish. My wife won’t hang washing outside anymore in case it picks up the stench. Local businesses are struggling too. Why would tourists want to visit when the city looks like a tip? We had visitors from across the globe for concerts and festivals over the summer. Not exactly the impression you want to give, is it? The recycling situation is completely knackered. Even when they do collections, it’s just general waste. All that effort people put into sorting their rubbish properly, and it all ends up in the same truck anyway. My mother-in-law lives in Sutton Coldfield. Says her area’s much better because they’ve got different contractors. “Why don’t they just get private companies to do it all?” she asks. Easy for her to say.
Health Concerns Mount
The rats are just the start of it. There are concerns about disease, flies, and general public health issues. Kids playing near these rubbish piles can’t be safe, can it? Had a woman on the local news saying rats chewed through her car’s wiring. Imagine that. Can’t park your car safely because of the rubbish situation. It’s mental. The council keeps putting out statements about contingency plans and maintaining essential services. But walk around most of Birmingham, and it’s clear these plans aren’t working.
No End in Sight
The Birmingham bin strikes have been going on for five months now with no resolution in sight. Both sides seem completely dug in. Workers won’t accept pay cuts; the council says they’re broke and have no choice. Union sources are warning that bin workers across the entire country might strike in solidarity. Imagine if this spread to other cities. London, Manchester, and Leeds all looking like Birmingham does now. It’s becoming a proper test case for how local authorities deal with budget cuts and worker rights. Problem is, while politicians and union leaders argue, ordinary people are living in the mess.
What Happens Next?
Nobody seems to know. Talks keep happening, but nothing gets resolved. Meanwhile, the rubbish keeps piling up and the rats keep multiplying. Some people are talking about taking their rubbish to other areas or driving to household waste centres. But that’s not a solution for families without cars or elderly people who can’t manage it. The whole situation shows how quickly a modern city can fall apart when basic services stop working. We take bin collections for granted until they’re not there anymore.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about Birmingham bin strikes anymore. It’s about what happens when councils go bankrupt and workers refuse to accept massive pay cuts. Other local authorities are watching closely because many of them are in similar financial trouble. The cost of bringing in outside help, military planners, and emergency measures must be massive. Probably costs more than just paying the workers properly in the first place. But here’s the thing. People still need to live and work in this city while all this gets sorted out. Can’t just wait indefinitely for politicians to reach agreements while rats the size of cats run about the streets. Something’s got to give soon. The question is whether it’ll be the workers, the council, or the people of Birmingham who break first.
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