I'm unaware of bin strike latest, says Greens deputy

The deputy leader of the Green Party has admitted she has failed to keep up to date with Birmingham's near two-year bin strike.

During a round of interviews with the BBC, Rachel Millward said she was unaware of the latest on the dispute, despite her party jointly running the city council.

Asked by BBC Radio WM's Ed James why the dispute is unresolved despite recent suggestions of an imminent deal, Millward said: "I don't know, because I don't have the briefing."

The Greens have run the council since May, alongside the Lib-Dems and Better Birmingham Independent Group. "Extensive efforts continue to be made to try to find a lawful and reasonable end to this dispute," a council spokesperson said.

Millward appeared on James' show, ahead of the Green Party's annual conference which starts in Brighton on Friday.

Referring to why the strike remains unresolved, she added: "I haven't got the information. I'm so sorry. So I can't satisfactorily answer that for you."

But, challenging Millward on "the biggest issue we have in our city", James asked the politician: "Is Birmingham not important to the Green Party?."

She replied: "Birmingham is incredibly important to the Green Party. The whole nation is."

The all-out strike, which began in March 2025, initially centred on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.

Unite The Union claimed about 170 affected workers face losing up to £8,000 a year because of the decision, but the council disputed those figures.

James admitted to listeners afterwards that he was shocked by Millward's responses.

"I don't quite know what to make of that. I'm kind of speechless to be honest," he said.

"[The Green Party will] be leading the council in 2028. They're obviously one of the largest parties as part of the coalition.

"And she knew nothing about the Birmingham bin strikes, which absolutely blew my mind."

Millward first represented the Greens as a councillor in Wealden, East Sussex. She then took on the co-leadership of the council in 2023.

This was followed by successfully running for the deputy leadership of the national party in England and Wales last year.

After hearing Millward's interview, listeners called in reacting with fury to what they had heard.

Daz from Northfield said: "Why is this person laughing at you asking questions that are important to us? She needs cutting off, she's useless."

Another listener, Kev, called in to the show and said: "You don't have to live in this city to know that one of the biggest things, if not the biggest thing, is the bin strikes.

"I was in New York last two weeks ago. New York, 3,000 miles away. They knew about the refuse strikes in Birmingham."

Last month Roger Harmer, the Lib-Dem leader of the city council, told WM the council and Unite had agreed a proposal to end the dispute, but several stages of approval were still needed before it could be signed off "late September or early October".

Unite has declined to comment on the current position in the dispute.

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