A sanitation strike in Birmingham, UK has entered its fifth week, leaving residents with overflowing garbage and limited options for waste disposal. The dispute between the city and its trash collectors began on March 11 over the elimination of a job position and painful pay cuts.
The strike is causing significant disruptions, with mountains of garbage piling up on streets. Residents have reported seeing rats as big as cats in the refuse, and some areas are becoming unbearable due to the stench. The city council has declared a major incident, bringing in additional cleanup crews and vehicles to address the issue.
The Labour-run Birmingham City Council is struggling financially due to a settlement over historic pay discrimination, which has resulted in significant budget cuts of 300 million pounds. As a result, services required by law are being reduced, including waste collection.
Opposition parties have criticized the government’s response to the problem, but Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has insisted that it is a local issue requiring immediate attention. The situation has been compared to a national embarrassment and could become a public health emergency if not resolved soon.
Birmingham has experienced similar chaos in the past, with a garbage strike lasting seven weeks in 2017. Picketing workers have been accused of blocking dump trucks, but even with some trucks rolling out, the sheer volume of refuse is overwhelming residents.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/garbage-strike-birmingham-stink-rats-rubbish-263a7ed5a7c98ec4c1ddf4e2e93ba4c0