Birmingham City Councillors have united in condemnation of Labour's failure to prevent refuse workers from returning to the picket lines.
Waste collection workers are going on strike after Birmingham City Council started issuing them with redundancy notices.
If he had a shred of decency, he would resign
The City Council issued a statement saying that they made Grade 3 Leading Hands in the refuse service redundant on September 1st to protect its legal and financial position- as approved by Cabinet on 27th June.
Councillor Deidre Allen, Conservative Spokesperson for Cleaner Streets, Recycling and the Environment, said: "Last week, Unite declared a deal had been reached and Councillor John Clancy (leader of Birmingham City Council) did nothing whatsoever to refute that claim.
Now it has been proved that the negotiated deal was undeliverable due to reasons of cost.
"The Leader is denying any deal was ever agreed, despite Unite & ACAS saying firmly that it was. I believe the Leader has made a bad situation ten times worse by his behaviour, and his position is now untenable. How can anyone ever negotiate with him again? If he had a shred of decency, he would resign."
The City Council postponed a discussion of the Waste Management Report originally adjourned from 24th August to a Special Cabinet on 1st September, to a reconvened meeting on 13th September. The 1st September meeting was cancelled.
The dispute started after plans to slash the jobs of grade three workers who have responsibility for safety on bin lorries.
Unite declared victory after seven weeks of striking on 16th August, saying city councillors had agreed to restore threatened positions and quitting strikes to proceed with negotiations. The union recommended strikes after the City Council continued to delay meetings and provided redundancy notices.
It's a complete farce and it is the residents of Birmingham who are paying the price
Councillor Roger Harmer, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council's Liberal Democrat group, said: "The resumption of the strike is a result of staggering mismanagement by the Labour leadership of the Council. They u-turned on their plans to get rid of the leading loader role to get Unite to cancel the strike.
But they now admit the Council couldn't afford to do this, so they have been forced to make another U-turn and issue redundancy notices to the leading loaders.
"It's a complete farce and it is the residents of Birmingham who are paying the price."
During the past round of strikes, piles of rubbish, labelled "rat hotels", built up in the streets of Birmingham and attracted flies that residents said spread disease.
The more days he clings onto power, the more damage is caused to Birmingham's standing
Councillor Ian Cruise, the Independent councillor for Longbridge, said: "It is disappointing, but unsurprising, the bin workers have resumed their dispute following the back-tracking by Council Leader John Clancy on a 'deal' that was not only undeliverable, but would have also left the Council with serious legal consequences after they ignored the advice of senior council officers.
He took his advice from external sources, which proved to be inaccurate.
"This is not just about the bitter dispute between Unite the Union and the Council, which ultimately needs resolving, it is also about the credibility of the political leadership of the Council, which I believe has now been shot to pieces. For writing a cheque he couldn't cash, Councillor Clancy's position as Leader of the Council is now untenable.
"The whole fiasco has been an embarrassment to Birmingham and has damaged the reputation of the city. For the sake of the people of Birmingham and the City Council's relationship with its staff, he must step aside today. The more days he clings onto power, the more damage is caused to Birmingham's standing."
Dates for rubbish collection in Birmingham were announced on the Birmingham Mail's website last week.
