Bin lorry drivers now facing pay downgrade

Council move likely to scupper hopes of quick end to strike

- JANE HAYNES Political Correspondent

WASTE truck drivers in Birmingham are now set to be downgraded and their pay cut by thousands of pounds a year.

It is a massive blow to the under-fire waste service workforce and appears to scupper hopes of an imminent end to strike action that has blighted the city and triggered negative headlines around the world.

Around 200 drivers, mostly men, were told on Tuesday that their jobs are being ‘downgraded’ as part of an equal pay-related review and evaluation exercise by Birmingham City Council.

The drivers, currently listed as Grade 4 roles, are to be regraded to Grade 3. That would bring a huge pay cut.

Driver team leaders, who navigate the trucks through the city’s streets, currently earn between £33,366 to £40,476, reflecting their skills and leader role. This will be dropped to between £26,409 to £32,654 - the current Grade 3 pay - if the proposal goes ahead.

The news has been rumoured for weeks, with Unite the union officials warning the city council was negotiating ‘in bad faith’ and refusing to discuss its plans for drivers, despite valid concerns about their future.

One bin worker who contacted the Post said it was a huge step back, and showed that the council had been ‘spinning lies’ to its workers.