A rally for the Birmingham bin workers showed there is an appetite for solidarity action but this needs to be harnessed and directed if they are to win, argues Pete Webster 

Monday evening saw a packed meeting of local activists rally in support of the Birmingham refuse workers. Platform speakers included a striker and representatives from We Demand Change, the People’s Assembly, UCU and Strike Map. They were also joined by Salma Yaqoob. 

There was widespread recognition from those present that this local dispute is of national political importance since the Birmingham City Council bosses’ belligerence is being dictated by the Tory-imposed commissioners sent in by central government to clear up the mess of years of maladministration of the Labour-led authority. The commissioners remain in place nearly one year on from Starmer’s general election win and with the same aim of making working people pay for the administration’s financial mismanagement. 

Let’s be clear. A defeat for the strikers will give the green light to every other local authority to stick the boot in to their own workers. Not just refuse workers but also all other sections of the workforce. It will embolden employers in other sectors – teachers, care workers, NHS staff etc – to follow suit. It will continue the savage class war being waged by this Labour government. 

A victory would change all that and help turn the tide from one of despair to one of hope for thousands of workers in the public and private sectors across the country who are facing attacks by the bosses. 

This offensive is not driven by defending the ‘British’ economy but is a stark and cruel  political choice led by Starmer and Reeves. They have no reservations about increasing expenditure on military adventurism from its ongoing support for the genocide in Palestine to the formation of some Western European armed force to fill the gap left by Trump’s withdrawal of significant Nato support. The share of GDP going to arms manufacturers will rise to record peace-time levels if Starmer and co are allowed to. 

The link between increased spending on warfare comes at the cost of massive cuts in welfare. The 7 June national demonstration called by the People’s Assembly will be a critical test for the labour movement. 

There are, however, significant challenges facing the strikers if they are to win. If they are to garner widespread support, there is an urgent need for activists to attend the picket lines to win strikers to calling a city-centre rally to galvanise support. If Unite won’t do so, then the strikers themselves must make the call as rank-and-file trade unionists. In doing so it will provide a launch pad to call for mass pickets to stop the scabbing operations being run with the help of the British military called in by the government to break the strike. And mass pickets with a call out for solidarity from other trade unionists across the country is the only viable way to win. 

The enthusiasm of the meeting needs to be turned into concrete actions that focus on building support within Birmingham and beyond and there was a clear appetite to take this forward. The first step must be for activists to attend as many picket lines as possible putting the argument for a major escalation of the dispute. 

A victory is possible but the essential groundwork is needed right here right now.