Garbage heaps line the streets of Birmingham as a monthlong sanitation strike plunges the U.K.’s second-largest city into mounting filth.
Rats the size of cats scurry through piles of refuse, and residents report stench and decay spreading across neighborhoods like a slow-moving plague.
The strike began March 11, after members of the Unite union walked off the job over job cuts and wage disputes with Birmingham City Council.
Negotiations on Monday failed to break the deadlock, though both sides are set to resume talks Tuesday as tensions rise.
The Labour-led council, grappling with bankruptcy after a historic equal pay settlement, has slashed £300 million from its budget over two years.
Basic services, including waste collection, remain the only legally mandated functions still operating—though barely.
Residents describe appalling scenes: juice seeping from trash bags, vermin chewing through plastic, and flames consuming garbage in one neighborhood.
“I removed tools from my work van just to take trash to the dump,” said Naeem Yousef, who now helps neighbors dispose of their waste.
The backlog has forced city officials to declare a major incident, mobilizing extra crews and vehicles to manage the mounting debris.
Social media is flooded with images of illegal dumping—mattresses, furniture, and car bumpers litter the pavements like war relics.
Drone footage from the BBC shows traffic stretched for miles at pop-up dump sites, as residents endure long waits for elusive disposal slots.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called the crisis a local matter but emphasized the government’s pressure for a swift resolution.