The bin dispute has been ongoing leaving many areas across Birmingham with an overflow of rubbish and fly tipping.
A member of the Labour council’s leadership team Councillor Majid Mahmood says he can’t support the city council’s decision to take legal action against the bin’s unions and has resigned from his position.
The council’s Cabinet announced that it was taking legal action against the unions Unite and Unison for what it says is an unlawful industrial dispute.
Unite union’s assistant general secretary Howard Beckett who is furious said “They have made a declaration of war against their own workforce and the people of Birmingham will be affected by the decision they made today,”.
A new bins strike is now “inevitable”, he said.
An urgent meeting of Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet agreed to apply to court for an injunction to end what they say is “unlawful industrial action” by the bin workers’ union Unite.
Mahmood is Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Waste and Recycling.
Cllr Majid Mahmood has said “I am not going to be party to a Labour council using Tory legislation to attack bin workers, our brothers and sisters in the union movement.”
“I love this city and this is the best position I have ever held but I cannot in all conscience continue to support an approach I don’t believe in. I feel the bins service is being set up to fail.”
Leader of the council Ian Ward responded to the resignation: “The people of Birmingham want us to resolve the waste collection dispute as quickly as possible and cabinet members agreed a way forward on Monday 14 January – unfortunately Cllr Mahmood changed his mind and was subsequently unwilling to support that way forward
“I thank Councillor Mahmood for his efforts over the last four years, but being in the Cabinet requires collective responsibility, respect for the respective roles of officers and members, and the courage to take tough decisions in the interests of those we serve.
“Our focus now is to test our legal advice and seek a resolution to this dispute through binding arbitration at ACAS.
Unite’s assistant general secretary Howard Beckett, leading the negotiations with the city over the bins dispute, praised Councillor Mahmood for his actions.
