"This judgement confirms that Unite has tried to prevent us from collecting our residents' bins and to fill the city up with rubbish. We always acknowledged that everyone has the right to protest and that Unite has the right to organise picketing in line with their statutory rights. However, people also have a right to work."
"Unite will not allow these workers to pay the price for the council's failings in their pay packets. Rather than resolving the dispute, Birmingham city council's own figures have confirmed they have spent 33m of Birmingham residents' money trying to break the strike. It won't be broken - these workers are fighting for council workers everywhere."
Unite union has been fined £265,000 by a judge for contempt of court after repeatedly breaching an injunction during Birmingham's bin strike. The injunction, granted last year, prohibits blocking refuse collection vehicles at depots and streets. The council filed contempt proceedings citing persistent breaches including vehicle blockades, union members obstructing heavy vehicles, and road blockages. Birmingham City Council's cabinet member emphasized residents' right to bin collection while acknowledging protest rights. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham characterized the fine as intimidation, stating the union will not deduct costs from workers' pay and claiming the council spent £33 million attempting to break the strike. The dispute stems from ongoing strike action beginning January last year, with all-out action since March.
Read at www.bbc.com
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