Union fined £265,000 for blocking lorries in Birmingham bin workers’ strike

Court finds Unite repeatedly breached injunction by blockading and ‘slow walking’ next to waste trucks The union representing striking bin workers in Birmingham has been fined £265,000 for breaching an injunction which prohibited the blocking of waste lorries at depots. Mrs Justice Jefford found that Unite had repeatedly breached the injunction issued in July by blockading and “slow walking” next to vehicles. The judgment, issued in the high court on Tuesday, said such action had contributed to 22,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish accumulating in Birmingham in March last year, which led the council to declare a major incident. Jefford said striking workers had obstructed waste vehicles and picketed outside defined areas despite the injunction being in place. Unite admitted it had breached the court’s order and “apologised unreservedly” for doing so. It also said it believed the injunction only applied to protests in the immediate vicinity of the depots. The judge said she accepted the apology as “a genuine one” but acknowledged it was not offered until September 2025. The judgment also stated that breaches of the injunction by Unite were deliberate and culpabilty

Mar 17, 2026 → Mar 17, 2026