Birmingham bin strikes could spread, union leader warns

GMB in pay dispute with council in Peterborough and Aberdeen staff to strike over working conditions

Bin strikes could spread to other council areas across the country as cash-strapped local authorities make further cuts, a union leader has warned as the dispute between refuse workers and the city council in Birmingham continues.

There have been warnings of a public health emergency in Birmingham as bin bags have piled up in the streets and there has been an influx of rats, more than a month after refuse collectors launched an all-out indefinite strike.