BIN strikes could spread across the country, a union leader warned today as industrial action in Birmingham continues.

More than 350 refuse workers have been on strike since March 11 over plans to cut a vital waste recycling role. 

Unite says it will lead to 150 of its members having their pay slashed by up to £8,000 a year, and cited fears it could pave the way for wider cuts.

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab was asked on BBC Radio 4 about the likeliness of strikes spreading elsewhere.

“If other local authorities look to cut the pay of essential public service workers, then there is the potential for strike action spreading,” he said. “That’s why different political choices need to be made.”

Unite handed a petition signed by over 3,000 people to Birmingham City Council today, calling on leaders to listen to striking workers.

While the dispute drags on, the council has poured money into a “major incident” plan to clear waste on the streets, and the government has called in logistical support from the army. 

Today, workers voted to reject a deal from the council, which Unite said involved substantial pay cuts and did nothing to address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers.

Birmingham City Council said that it had made a “reasonable offer,” and that every employee affected by the removal of the role “could take an equivalent graded role in the council, LGV driver training or voluntary redundancy packages.”

But Mr Kasab told Times Radio that there are no driver vacancies, with those affected “put straight down to a grade-two role, with the cut in pay.”