Labour is not on the side of workers, accuses Unite boss

Tensions are mounting between Labour’s biggest union backers and the government as Unite voted to suspend Angela Rayner’s membership and reconsider its ties with the party, with its general secretary claiming Sir Keir Starmer’s party is not on the side of working people.

- KATE DEVLIN DAVID MADDOX

Unite, which is one of the biggest unions in the country and has long been affiliated with Labour, has accused the government of failing workers in a row over the Birmingham bin strike that could lead to a historic split with the party.

It is the latest sign of the deteriorating relationship between Labour and the unions and comes days after several groups, including the Trades Union Congress and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), piled pressure on the government to avoid more cuts by bringing in a wealth tax.

Meanwhile, other unions have said they have major concerns that the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, may be planning a tax raid on public sector pension funds. The move comes after Unite members debated a motion at their conference in Brighton, where they condemned the Labour-run council in Birmingham and the government for their approach to the bin workers.

The union, one of Labour’s biggest financial backers, said fire and rehire tactics had “effectively” been deployed against striking workers, who are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay and job conditions. The strikes, which began in January, have resulted in huge piles of rubbish across Birmingham as well as rat infestations and general unsanitary conditions.