UNITE has criticised the government for washing its hands of the nearly month-long Birmingham bin strikes.

General secretary Sharon Graham has told Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner that it can not say it is “nothing to do with us … we can’t get involved.”

The strike over the council’s planned restructuring of Birmingham’s refuse service has left more than 17,000 tonnes of waste on city streets and leading to a “major incident” being declared.

“Let me be very clear that the pay of these workers is being cut by a Labour council under your watch,” Ms Graham said.

“The current escalation increasingly looks like a declaration of war on these workers.”

Negotiations over the dispute have stalled as the local authority appears to have hardened its position.

Unite says that the proposals would see 50 workers lose £8,000 a year and about 20 lose £2,000 per annum.

The council insists that 17 workers would face up to a £6,000 loss per year.

In her letter, leaked to the BBC, Ms Graham said that Unite negotiators’ attempts to resolve the dispute are being met with “a computer says no” answer.

She said: “This predetermined charade is played out after ‘consultation’ with those outside the room — namely the government-appointed commissioner Max Caller, who is directly under your department and your authority.”

Mr Caller was brought in by the previous government in 2023 when the council  declared itself effectively bankrupt.

She said that rather than an adviser, he has been the “principal decision-maker” and that “it is clear to me that my members’ pockets are being picked to make savings due to historic debts.

“Indeed, Birmingham council is currently making repayments (including interest) of £250 million per year, almost all of it to the Treasury, on a £3.9 billion debt.”

The union leader said that reducing the repayment period and the rate of interest the council is paying the government over its debts could be reviewed.

“We need to have an emergency meeting with the leader of the council, regarding debt restructuring and immediately investigate the role of the commissioner in the dispute,” she said.

“We can then remove the threat of cutting £8,000 per year from our members’ pay packets and discuss sensible solutions.”

A government spokesperson said: “It is right that this continues to be a locally led response … but we are monitoring the situation closely and will not hesitate to act should the council require additional support.”