The union Unite will cut the fee it pays to Labour by nearly £600,000 over the party's handling of the Birmingham bin strike. Members voted to reduce the money Unite pays as an affiliate union by 40 percent. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said, 'The cut in affiliation fee shows the anger of Unite members.
' The union will ask members at a conference next year whether it wants to continue to affiliate to Labour and pay a fee. Union members have been on all-out strike for a year in protest at plans to reform Birmingham's bin collection service. The dispute has dragged on with no end in sight, leading to scenes of chaos with bin bags piled up on the streets.
The Birmingham bin strike started a year ago and has become one of the most intractable disputes of modern times. Residents complain about rats, fly-tipping, and being unable to access recycling centers due to the strike. Union members blame the Labour council for refusing to meet their demands, claiming the reforms will lead to lower pay.
The council has been forced to take on agency staff to address the bin collection issues. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said workers were asking if Labour was on their side and were 'coming to the end of the line' with the party. Unite said the actions of Labour against the Birmingham bin workers will 'not continue to be tolerated'.
A big chunk of Labour funding comes from trade union members, though the percentage amount has fallen under Sir Keir Starmer. Historically, Unite has been the Labour Party's biggest affiliate, but funding has been cut in recent years. In 2020, Unite announced it would cut its affiliation fee by 10 percent after Sir Keir Starmer took control of the Labour Party.
Despite backing Labour under Jeremy Corbyn in the 2019 election, Unite did not donate to Labour during Sir Keir Starmer's 2024 campaign. Unite refused to endorse the Labour Party's general election manifesto, saying it did not go far enough on protecting workers' rights and jobs in the oil and gas industry.