William Eichler 18 March 2026

Unite fined £265k over Birmingham bin strike injunction breaches

 Unite fined £265k over Birmingham bin strike injunction breaches image
© lazyllama / Shutterstock.com.

Birmingham City Council has welcomed a High Court ruling that fines the trade union Unite £265,000 for breaching an injunction during the long-running bin strike.

The court found the union had obstructed waste vehicles at depots, despite an order banning such activity.

The injunction was introduced after disruption to refuse services, with industrial action ongoing since early 2025 amid a dispute over pay and role changes.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for Environment and Transport, welcomed the decision, saying it would ‘send a clear message about what is acceptable behaviour and what is not.’

Unite, however, described the fine as a ‘pathetic attempt to intimidate workers’ and said it would not allow members to ‘pay the price’ for the dispute.

Half a century in the chamber image

Half a century in the chamber

Cllr Dr James Walsh was elected to Arun District Council in 1975. Here he tells LocalGov what he's learned about trust, transformation and keeping it local.
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