'I'd just lost my son when £6,000 pay cut put us at risk of losing family home'

A STRIKING Birmingham binman has spoken of a nightmare five weeks in which he lost his son and was then told his pay was being slashed - sparking fears for his family's home.

- JAMES CARTLEDGE News Reporter

Adrian Hyde, 46, was still deep in mourning after losing his 27-year-old son to sepsis last autumn when he was told he was in line to lose £6,000 from his salary as part of the city council's controversial bins service changes.

“I had just lost my son and my mind was not on my job or money,” he said. “It was on looking after my wife and two daughters.”

“I am now £500 a month worse off and that is really going to hit me. It could put me and my family out on the street. How can you just wake up one morning and lose £500 a month?”

Mr Hyde has worked for the council for 23 years, first as a street cleaner and then for the past 14 as a binman.

The six-month bins dispute remains unresolved. The council says it is moving towards making redundancies as it has nowhere else to go in negotiations with the Unite union, which represents the striking workers.

Mr Hyde says he was told to accept voluntary redundancy, transfer to street sweeping duties or accept a demotion in his existing role.