Unite the Union has voted to cut its funding to the Labour Party by £580,000 over the government’s handling of bin strikes in Birmingham.
The £580,000 decrease amounts to a 40% cut from the union’s previous funding level of £1.45m.
Unite described the cut as ‘unprecedented’ and said it plans to formally consult its members on whether they want to remain in the Labour Party.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham commented: “Workers are scratching their heads asking whose side are Labour on, who do they really represent, because it certainly isn’t workers. Workers and communities are paying the price.”
“The cut in affiliation fee shows the anger of Unite members. Stop taking workers for granted, spine up, do your job and be real Labour.”
Refuse workers in Birmingham have been on strike for over 12 months, with agency staff voting to join the industrial action last year, over the city council’s decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.
Unite say staff performing the ‘safety-critical’ WRCO role will lose around £8,000 a year under the plans, a figure disputed by the council.
In February, refuse workers and agency staff in Birmingham voted to extend strike action past local elections in May and into September.
According to its financial monitoring report, the strike action is forecast to cost Birmingham City Council £14.6m.
Unite also didn’t donate to Labour’s successful 2024 election campaign after refusing to endorse the party’s manifesto.
