THE Birmingham bin strike escalated yesterday as Unite general secretary Sharon Graham accused the council of a “new low” for firing three agency workers after they spoke to picketing colleagues.

The union said that the three temporary workers were laughably told they were being dismissed “due to a lack of work” after they briefly spoke to striking colleagues on the picket line, before undertaking their collection rounds. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a new low by council bosses — firing workers they know have no protection for merely speaking to striking colleagues.