Birmingham bin worker striking over pay says 'locals with us' despite rubbish and rats

A single mum-of three who fears she is going to be made homeless if her job makes her take a pay cut of at least £6,000 per year as a bin worker, has joined strike action.

Caroline, whose name has been changes over concerns of potential repercussions, is one of many bin workers who are currently on strike in after hearing news about the devastating wage changes. She said she was "absolutely devastated" when she found out about the cuts and said the local authority "are not listening" to her colleague's despite as a result of the strikes.

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Shocking photos from around the city show rats, , running around the area as ripped bin liners pile up in huge heaps. Earlier this week, it was reported that around 17,000 tonnes of rubbish had been abandoned on road sides.

On Monday, declared a major incident over public health concerns as strikes were preventing rubbish collection. Nealy 400 workers agreed to strike at the start of this month. However, the huge campaign has failed to spark a sucessful response from the authority.

Caroline insisted that no one is asking for more pay, but said they are simply begging to keep their wage as it is. She told the : "Everyone was up in the air thinking ‘they’re just out for a pay rise’. We’re out to just keep our money. The people I’ve spoken to, they’re with us once you explain.

"There's bags there, bags there, bags there, bags there, bags there. But the council's not giving any leeway. They're not listening to the union. They're not listening to us."

She added: "The rent's going up, everything's going up, gas, electric, everything – they're going to make me homeless. All the bills are going up, but they're trying to drop our money. They're going to leave us below the bread line."

The mum says she is already living "hand to mouth" due to the cruel cost of living which has seen bills soar to crippling amounts. union says that most of the workers earn barely above the minimum wage. Caroline, working as a Waste Recycling and Collection Officer, is directly impacted by the council's plans to eliminate her current position, which Unite say could result in an annual salary reduction ranging from £6,000 to £8,000.

Unite, the union, claims that about 150 employees are at risk of having their wages reduced by as much as £8,000. However, the council contends that only 17 staff members will experience pay cuts, with the maximum loss just above £6,000.

Majid Mahmood, the cabinet member for environment, earlier said that the council had made a “fair and reasonable offer”. He added: “Not a single worker needs to lose a penny. Every worker has been offered the same grade and the same pay within the street scene division of the city council.

"We’re here because we are trying to transform and modernise the service.” Last week, the council revealed it was contemplating compulsory redundancies for workers who had turned down its offers.