Angela Rayner under pressure to hand back £10k from union behind Birmingham bin strike.uk
The all-out strikes have been running for more than a month and there are concerns over public health as rubbish piles high on Birmingham’s streets.
Angela Rayner is looking to find an end to the dispute after more than a month of all-out strikes (Image: Getty)
A senior Conservative has reportedly written to Labour demanding to know whether Angela Rayner will hand back £10,000 from the trade union involved in the bin strikes in Birmingham. Members of the Unite union launched an all-out strike last month in a bitter dispute over pay and jobs, which has led to concerns over public health with rubbish piling up on Birmingham’s streets.
The Deputy Prime Minister – who received a total of £10,000 from the union ahead of last year’s general election – is looking to find an end to the dispute and earlier this week urged those striking to accept an “improved deal”. Writing to Labour, Kevin Hollinrake, who is Ms Rayner’s opposite number as Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, expressed his concerns and wants to know whether she will return the money. “Rats the size of cats are roaming the streets. Rubbish is piling up at an astonishing rate,” he said, according to The Sun
Rubbish piled high on a Birmingham street as bin strikes continue (Image: Getty)
“It’s not just a local scandal. It’s a national embarrassment – and a public health emergency. The city is being held hostage by Unite. Unite has donated tens of millions to Labour.
“Since Keir Starmer became leader, Labour has received over £30million from the unions. Even more troubling, Angela Rayner, Secretary of State responsible for resolving this strike, has received £10,000 from Unite during the last general election.”
In an opinion piece for the Daily Express on Saturday, the MP for Thirsk and Malton claimed the strikes are “a perfect storm… manufactured entirely by Labour”.
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Ms Rayner visited Birmingham on Thursday to meet staff involved in clearing the backlog and volunteers clearing up their area.
She said residents in the city are “our first priority” and that she had “pressed both sides to negotiate at pace to urgently find a resolution”.
“There is now a better offer on the table and I would urge Unite to suspend the action and accept the improved deal so we achieve fairness for both workers and residents of this city,” Ms Rayner said.
Birmingham City Council has increased its clean-up effort, with more than 100 refuse collection vehicles on extended shifts each day.
