At a hearing in London on 16 October 2025, the court heard that members of Unite had “repeatedly and deliberately” breached the terms of an injunction granted earlier this year, which prohibited the blocking of council waste collection vehicles at depots or on Birmingham’s streets.
The injunction, issued in May 2025, required the union to take reasonable steps to ensure its members and officials limited picketing activity to designated areas outside three council depots.
In a statement released on 25 July 2025 the Council explained: “The city council has applied for contempt of court proceedings against Unite the Union due to persistent evidence of a breach of the court order which the Union have agreed to and are required to comply with.
“Our injunction prevents the blocking of our refuse collection vehicles, both at our depots and on the streets. Despite writing repeatedly to Unite for several weeks to highlight what we believe to be clear breaches of the injunction the situation has worsened.
“We will now go to court to ensure the safety of all involved and that the terms of the injunction – which has been agreed to by Unite – is adhered to.”
Written ruling is expected to be issued at a later date.
Letsrecycle reached out to Birmingham City Council, who confirmed that they are unable to comment on an active court case.
Unite the Union has also been approached for comment.
Ongoing dispute over pay and role cuts
The hearing comes as Birmingham’s waste dispute continues into its tenth month.
Unite’s members, who include hundreds of the city’s refuse workers, began industrial action in January 2025 over ongoing disagreements with the council regarding pay and working conditions.
The industrial action escalated into all-out strikes on 11 March 2025, with refuse collections heavily affected across the city.
Earlier this month, Unite confirmed that its members had voted “overwhelmingly” to extend their strike mandate until March 2026, raising the prospect of continued disruption to waste collections into next spring.
Birmingham City Council has said it remains committed to transforming its refuse service and resolving the dispute.
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