22 hours Ago
Bin strike campaigners in Birmingham are urging the city to 'break from Labour' and 'build a real workers party'. Activists for Unite, the union behind the bin strikes, have called for colleagues to join alliances with 'lefty Greens', other trade unionists and 'free Palestine activists' in a new coalition. Taking to Facebook on Wednesday, the union community branch in Birmingham said that 'there needs to be discussion involving all the groups' about 'building a new party with a United front approach'.
The Unite Community Birmingham page said: 'I think there needs to be discussion involving all the groups, lefty greens, trade unionists, free Palestine activists about building a new party with a United front approach. Break from Labour and build a real workers party.' It was in response to one of its own posts which shared a statement from the official Unite page thanking thousands of people who had signed its petition in support of striking bin workers.
Reposting the Unite post, the group said: 'Victory to the [bin] workers – we need a new working class party to run Birmingham city Council!'. A Unite spokesperson told the Telegraph that the union remains affiliated to Labour but added: 'It is no surprise..
that people are questioning Labour's position because of the situation in Birmingham.' The union's community branches are made of local campaigners who raise issues in their area rather than official union representatives and do not speak for Unite as a whole. City streets are overflowing with rubbish after Birmingham City Council refuse workers walked out on March 11 in a dispute over changes to staffing The Labour-led council was humiliated on Monday when the striking workers rejected their latest pay offer by an overwhelming majority and fresh talks on Wednesday ended without agreement Taking to Facebook on Wednesday, the union community branch in Birmingham said that 'there needs to be discussion involving all the groups' The Labour-led council was.
.. Robert Folker.
