An end to the long-running Birmingham bin strike is “within sight” after a breakthrough in the bitter dispute over jobs and pay.
Council leader John Cotton said he believed a new offer could be made to the Unite union, whose members have been on all-out strike for more than a year.
The dispute flared over council plans to remove a role in its waste recycling and collection service which it insisted was necessary to make improvements and bring the service in line with other local authorities.
Unite said the move would lead to pay cuts of around £8,000 for hundreds of its members, a figure the council has always disputed.
Rubbish piled up on Birmingham’s streets, leading to residents complaining about it being a health hazard.
Mr Cotton said: “After months of frustration and delay, for the first time in over 12 months, a negotiated settlement to end the bin strike is now within sight.
“This has been a challenging and complex process, but after months of hard work, on the principles and parameters of a deal, I believe a new, improved offer can be made and terms can be put in place that addresses the ballpark issues discussed at Acas, that Unite members can agree in order to end the strike once and for all.
“A deal that would be good for the workforce, represent good value for money and would not repeat the mistakes of the past and risk creating new structural equal pay liabilities.
“I want our workforce to be able to return to work and help us deliver the quality refuse and recycling services the people of this city deserve. That’s why, throughout this dispute, I have resisted those who would dismiss the striking workers instead of negotiating.
“I have instructed officers to move forward with negotiations so that we can bring this matter to a close.”
The breakthrough was announced just over a week before the local council elections.
No details were given about the deal.
Mr Cotton added: “Whilst the pre-election period prevents the council from making a final decision prior to May 7, a re-elected Labour administration under my leadership will work to get this deal approved as a matter of absolute priority.
“The council can then move forward and offer the people of Birmingham the services that they deserve.
“I also want to re-emphasise my absolute determination to see through the agreement reached with the council’s unions last year that will deliver the pay justice that thousands of women workers were denied under previous leaderships.
“I would like to thank the people of Birmingham for their patience during this challenging time.
“It’s now clear that whilst other parties have no plan, only Labour can end this dispute and deliver a refuse service that works for everyone in Birmingham.”
🚨BREAKING Deal agreed to end bins strike after 15 months!
— Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) April 27, 2026
It is an absolute abhorrence that this deal has been blocked not just once but twice by unelected unaccountable commissioners and officers at Birmingham City Council.
Congratulations to the Unite members who stood firm… pic.twitter.com/XF4YMqx7u2
Unite said the council statement was a vindication of the bin workers’ struggle for a decent deal after their job evaluation regrading.
“It is an absolute abhorrence that this deal has been blocked not just once but twice by unelected unaccountable commissioners and officers at Birmingham City Council, who enjoy eye-watering pay packets and no consequence for their actions,” the union said in a statement.
“The commissioner model is a licence for a few unelected individuals to print money and play games.
“The reason the offer has not yet been completed and gone to our members is because at the eleventh hour the Government-backed commissioners attempted to stop it, which has led to today’s statement of intent by the leader of the council.”
Unite said negotiations had taken place over the last few months to get the original Acas deal back on track, facilitated by Lord Brendan Barber.
The roles played by West Midlands mayor Richard Parker and Lord Barber should be recognised as they very quickly saw that the deal was both reasonable and doable.
Unite said the full details of the deal will remain confidential, awaiting the detailed offer from the council, and it will have to be voted on by the bin workers.
The broad outline of the ballpark deal, said Unite, included:
– Workers receiving a minimum of two years “cushion” from the impact of the job evaluation process, rather than six months.
– Striking agency workers with at least 12 months of employment on the contract will be offered a path to permanent employment.
– Disciplinary issues will be quashed and gross misconduct issues reviewed.
– For pension purposes the dispute will be treated as authorised absence.
– Legal action on both sides will be ended.
There will now be a series of meetings to complete the offer and the union warned it will escalate the dispute if it is reneged on in anyway.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The move made today by the leader of the council is a vindication of the bin workers’ struggle for a decent deal.
“Over the last few months, there have been intense negotiations to get the blocked ‘ballpark’ deal back on the table, so that our members could vote on it.
“The reason why we are not yet at that stage is purely down to the vindictive interference of the Government-backed commissioners who have attempted to block the deal again and clearly overstepped their remit.
“Their lack of both experience and industrial relations competence has been a major factor in this dispute, and their malevolent game-playing has been an absolute disgrace.
“The commissioner model is a licence for a few unelected individuals to print money and play games.
“They have let the workers down, the people of Birmingham down and the council down.”
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