Birmingham Bin Strike//Care Workers news and discussion

[Magnus McGinty]

By posing as a community-led effort. If they cared about the community then surely they should be supporting members of it who are on strike rather than aiding the council's attack on their wages?

These people are cleaning up their own streets after the bins strike

 

[cybershot]

Small Heath and it's surrounding areas is a pig sty every day of the week regardless of the bin men being on strike. Hopefully these community members will actually encourage other members in those areas to actually give a bit more of a shit of the area they live in.

As for the bin men, whilst I am on their side, they haven't been helping themselves with their lazy approach when they do actually get round to you. Plenty of videos of them doing things like picking up one bag from a section of bins. I even watched them pick just one bag out of my wheeley bin and leave the rest in there.

Thankfully they have now been twice this week, and even finally took the recycling.

The councils approach to it all has been pretty piss poor, and looks like they refuse to budge. I know they put a so called jobs fair on recently for those at risk of losing their jobs to find alternative positions, but that just seemed to add to the war of words.

Hopefully it all comes to an end soon enough. Personally I think the binmen should have made more of an effort to sabotage the commonwealth games bid by leaving areas that would be highly used for it in a shit state so photos and any visitors would have thought the city was a right shit tip.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

What about the scabbing though? I know rubbish everywhere isn't pleasant but scabbing isn't acceptable. Why aren't they supporting the strikers?

 

[cybershot]

You'd have to ask them that.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

They don't post here afaik. What's your view on it?

 

[cybershot]

They shouldn't be scabbing, but then, this is from the Birmingham Mail. They will sensationalise a duck in a pond if they have to and it's an easy topic for them to get clicks/buys.

 

[purenarcotic]

They were interviewed on local news and said they supported the bin men so I can only assume they don't realise this is scabbing.

 

[Casually Red]

I'm not sure this can be classed as scab action , not after 5 weeks of refuse building up. It's unpaid for a start and the criticism seems directed at the council and not the strikers . If there's an NHS strike and you administer first aid or CPR that's not scabbing either . Ambulance strike and you drive a relative or neighbour to hospital ?
The streets and entries are bound to be riven with rats and vermin at this point . Stench and flies everywhere, middle of summer . The public good and welfare needs to be considered too . That's not even remotely a criticism of the strike or strikers but communities have a right to remove potential or actual hazards from their midst as well . They're entitled to quality of life . Rights need to be balanced in some instances .

A better move would have been to dump it at council hq , or the councillors gardens . But I still wouldn't class this as scabbing . Even though it does mitigate the effects of strike action .

 

[Magnus McGinty]

On their FB page they claim the strike has nothing to do with them, they're just clearing up rubbish that's a 'hazard'; they've made no statement in support of those on strike.

 

[Red Sky]

I can't see how it's scabbing. What are people supposed to do with five weeks worth of rubbish out front?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Ours was finally cleared the other day, after 5 weeks.

I support them fully, but I have to admit even my patience was wearing thin having to walk past this* to get to my front door, it utterly stank and had swarms of maggots/flies everywhere.





*this was taken after 3 and a bit weeks, it got a lot worse...

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I'm not sure this can be classed as scab action , not after 5 weeks of refuse building up. It's unpaid for a start and the criticism seems directed at the council and not the strikers . If there's an NHS strike and you administer first aid or CPR that's not scabbing either . Ambulance strike and you drive a relative or neighbour to hospital ?
The streets and entries are bound to be riven with rats and vermin at this point . Stench and flies everywhere, middle of summer . The public good and welfare needs to be considered too . That's not even remotely a criticism of the strike or strikers but communities have a right to remove potential or actual hazards from their midst as well . They're entitled to quality of life . Rights need to be balanced in some instances .

A better move would have been to dump it at council hq , or the councillors gardens . But I still wouldn't class this as scabbing . Even though it does mitigate the effects of strike action .

It's unpaid but being funded by donations from local private businesses. Don't fall for the shit about it being community led.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I can't see how it's scabbing. What are people supposed to with five weeks worth of rubbish out front?

Apply pressure to the council rather than take the pressure off them, maybe?

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

Me and my old man took ours and our neighbours rubbish to the tip the other day. Didn't take clive over the road's though because he's a cunt. Don't know if this is scabbing or not.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

don't tell clive i said this

 

[Red Sky]

Apply pressure to the council rather than take the pressure off them, maybe?

There's got to be a synthesis were this could happen. Have the bin unions asked residents to put pressure on the council in any way?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

There's got to be a synthesis were this could happen. Have the bin unions asked residents to put pressure on the council in any way?

We're so fucked working class solidarity doesn't happen as standard anymore. The scabs may be business owners for all I know but some of the comments here are surprising, declaring it not a scab action.

 

[purenarcotic]

I agree it's a scab action but given the lack of awareness around these things I could appreciate they might not realise that. I didn't realise there was a FB page for them and I notice there's been a fair few comments pointing out its scab action and they've carried on so fuck em.

 

[Borp]

Isn't this a good thing? The rubbish gets collected but the strike still goes ahead. It doesn't undermine the strike that some people are picking up the rubbish. The council are still forced to work towards a lobg term solution.

 

[Casually Red]

We're so fucked working class solidarity doesn't happen as standard anymore. The scabs may be business owners for all I know but some of the comments here are surprising, declaring it not a scab action.

The reason rubbish stinks to humans is because harmful bacteria give off an odour that warns us to stay away from it . Flies and vermin living among this rubbish spread harmful bacteria . That can make us ill . Vermin infestations means there's Weils disease all over the place too . And the potential for rat bites and the like . Which if you've got small kids running about the place will be a real worry . It's one thing to be inconvenienced , even massively so, by strike action . Another thing to face potential harm .

Has there been any reaction to this move from the striking workers themselves ? Personally I'd wait for that before I'd start labelling people scabs .

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Isn't this a good thing? The rubbish gets collected but the strike still goes ahead. It doesn't undermine the strike that some people are picking up the rubbish. The council are still forced to work towards a lobg term solution.

Fucking hell!

The whole point of strike action is the only power the WC have is to collectively withdraw their labour in a dispute. If do gooders who aren't having their wages and conditions attacked decide to do the work of those on strike, what does that do to the collective strength?
That's why it's hated by genuine working class progressives.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

The reason rubbish stinks to humans is because harmful bacteria give off an odour that warns us to stay away from it . Flies and vermin living among this rubbish spread harmful bacteria . That can make us ill . Vermin infestations means there's Weils disease all over the place too . And the potential for rat bites and the like . Which if you've got small kids running about the place will be a real worry . It's one thing to be inconvenienced , even massively so, by strike action . Another thing to face potential harm .

Has there been any reaction to this move from the striking workers themselves ? Personally I'd wait for that before I'd start labelling people scabs .

Go try and wind someone else up you plastic cunt.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

The reason rubbish stinks to humans is because harmful bacteria give off an odour that warns us to stay away from it . Flies and vermin living among this rubbish spread harmful bacteria . That can make us ill . Vermin infestations means there's Weils disease all over the place too . And the potential for rat bites and the like . Which if you've got small kids running about the place will be a real worry . It's one thing to be inconvenienced , even massively so, by strike action . Another thing to face potential harm .

Has there been any reaction to this move from the striking workers themselves ? Personally I'd wait for that before I'd start labelling people scabs .

This was the view South of the border in 2014.

 

[Casually Red]

And what's the view of those on strike in this dispute ? Simple question . I'll happily take it on board .

 

[Magnus McGinty]

And what's the view of those on strike in this dispute ? Simple question . I'll happily take it on board .

Without looking, I reckon they're chuffed people are scabbing.

 

[Casually Red]

I didn't ask what you reckoned . I asked what is the view of the organised labour force involved in this dispute . If they regard it as scab action I'm sure they're well fit to identify and condemn it as such and there'll be a statement in due course .

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The best option would be for local residents to organise together to move all their rubbish outside the council offices and make a statement saying they support the strike.

 

[Borp]

Fucking hell!

The whole point of strike action is the only power the WC have is to collectively withdraw their labour in a dispute. If do gooders who aren't having their wages and conditions attacked decide to do the work of those on strike, what does that do to the collective strength?
That's why it's hated by genuine working class progressives.

I hear you. I put it out as a question.

Actually I like fozzie bear's suggestion. Pick up the rubbish and put it outside the council office.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I didn't ask what you reckoned . I asked what is the view of the organised labour force involved in this dispute . If they regard it as scab action I'm sure they're well fit to identify and condemn it as such and there'll be a statement in due course .

If this is the bar you're setting for opinion then we can be assured that you won't be dipping your beak into affairs such as Ukraine, without speaking to those involved first.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

The best option would be for local residents to organise together to move all their rubbish outside the council offices and make a statement saying they support the strike.

Agree mate.