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April 2, 2025

Anna Murray 

Birmingham City Council, the UK's second-largest city, is experiencing a sanitation worker strike, resulting in an estimated 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish. The city and garbage collectors have been at odds since December 2024, with Unite describing the council's proposals to eliminate the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role as "safety-critical."

Pest management experts have cautioned that the waste accumulation caused by the current bin collection strike poses a major health danger to the general public. Declaring a major incident would allow the city to clear the picket lines and clean up the streets.