The restructure would see the “downgrade” of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role – which could result in a loss of an average of £8,000 a year for around 150 staff.
The trade union has warned that strikes may be possible if the council does not scrap its plans.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will not stand by and allow refuse workers’ pay, terms or conditions to be attacked by Birmingham council.
“They work incredibly hard and are bending over backwards to accommodate ever more unreasonable demands for a crisis they didn’t cause and should not have to pay for. Unite will defend our Birmingham refuse workers to the hilt.”
Birmingham council “effectively bankrupt”
Unite has said that the council “effectively declared itself bankrupt last September” and that refuse staff have attempted to work with management to keep services running “despite detrimental impacts to their pay and working conditions”.
Members added that these impacts have included route changes, cuts to overtime and nighttime allowances, and generally working around problems caused by the council’s aging fleet of refuse trucks.
Unite regional officer Lee Wiggetts-Clinton said: “Birmingham’s refuse workers are sick and tired of being scapegoats for a crisis that was caused by politicians. They have already made major sacrifices since the council’s financial crisis unfolded to keep services running, even as their jobs have been consistently attacked.
“Plans to remove the WRCO role are viewed as a thin end of a wedge which will contain even more attempts to go after refuse workers’ pay, terms and conditions.”
Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy.
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