Uh oh. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been suspended by Unite the Union over the Birmingham bin strike – and the union has announced it is reviewing its relationship with the Labour party. It’s yet another blow for Sir Keir Starmer’s army as the union is one of the party’s biggest financial backers. Talk about trouble in paradise…
Trade unionists voted ‘overwhelmingly’ at Unite’s conference in Brighton today to suspend Rayner, accusing the former Unison union rep of backing a council that had ‘peddled lies’. Rayner isn’t the only public figure Unite has gone after. John Cotton, the leader of Birmingham council, has had his membership suspended by Unite, alongside some Labour councillors. The conference also backed a vote to ‘discuss our relationship with Labour’ – sparking fears there could be a formal split between the organisations which would spell financial trouble for the Labour lot.
The industrial action has dragged on for more than 100 days, after pay talks between bin workers and the city council broke down in March. Union bosses were not impressed when Rayner urged workers to accept the latest pay deal. Unite chiefs have claimed that changes to how rubbish is collected will mean that 170 workers will face an annual pay cut of £8,000 – figures that Birmingham City Council disputes. As the strike action continues, costs are creeping up too. As Mr S revealed last month, a whopping £90,767.20 was splurged on pest control services in Birmingham this March, while over the Easter weekend alone there were 376 complaints of rats.
Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham remarked:
Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts. The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises. People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer not workers.
Shots fired!
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