Unite has announced the suspension of Angela Rayner’s union membership amid an escalating dispute over the ongoing bin strikes in Birmingham.
The Deputy Prime Minister has been urging striking refuse workers to accept a settlement proposed by the Labour-led city council to resolve the dispute.
In an emergency motion at its Brighton conference, the union stated it would also reassess its relationship with the Labour Party should the council implement any redundancies affecting its members.
The city has faced significant disruption with uncollected refuse accumulating since bin collection workers initiated action in January, escalating to a full-scale strike in March.
While a spokesperson for Ms. Rayner has indicated she is no longer a member of Unite, the union maintains her membership remains active within its system.
Regardless, Unite’s public announcement highlights a significant political rift with the Deputy Prime Minister.
Unite is affiliated with the Labour Party, granting it representation on the party’s national executive committee and delegate status at its annual conference.
While Unite did not contribute to Labour’s general election campaign last year, it did donate £10,000 to Ms. Rayner’s campaign, as per her declared register of interests.
Under Keir Starmer’s leadership, Labour has diversified its funding streams and is now less reliant on union financial support compared to the period under Jeremy Corbyn.
However, should Unite choose to disaffiliate, it would represent a substantial financial setback for the party.
Unite is also the largest union contributor to Labour through affiliation fees, currently totaling £1.2 million annually.
Senior union sources suggest the bin strike is indicative of broader discontent.
The union’s relationship with the government may be further strained by a range of issues, including proposed welfare cuts, concerns regarding job security in the oil and gas sector, and dissatisfaction with the perceived limitations of the government’s workers’ rights agenda.
Unite members initiated strike action in January in response to plans to downgrade certain roles as part of the city council’s efforts to address equal pay liabilities.
The initial dispute centered on the council’s decision to eliminate Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) positions, which the union argued would result in approximately 170 affected workers experiencing a reduction in annual income of up to £8,000.
The council has contested this claim, stating the maximum loss would be slightly over £6,000 and would only affect 17 workers, with pay protected for six months.
The authority also asserts the role could be reinstated without creating a potential equal pay liability.
Unite has also urged the council to guarantee long-term pay for Grade 4 bin lorry drivers, alleging in April that new council plans could reduce drivers’ pay from £40,000 to £32,000.
An indefinite, all-out strike was announced in March, and an agreement to end the industrial action has yet to be reached.
The conciliation service Acas has been mediating negotiations since May, but talks broke down on Wednesday, with council leader John Cotton stating the authority had “reached the absolute limit of what we can offer.”
Unite has previously criticized government-appointed commissioners, who have overseen the council’s operations since its effective bankruptcy in 2023, for the perceived lack of progress.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham stated Ms. Rayner had “had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute.”
She added that the government’s support for the “so-called Labour council” had been “disgraceful.” Unite also says it has suspended the memberships of Mr. Cotton and other Labour councillors.
“People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on, and coming up with the answer ‘not workers’,” she added.
In a statement on X, Mr. Cotton said Unite had “repeatedly rejected reasonable offers” made by the city council to avoid “another equal pay crisis.”
Ms. Rayner, whose portfolio includes local government, has called on the union to accept the deal proposed by the city council to end the strikes, stating the authority had “moved significantly to meet the demands of the workers.”
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