Agency workers have joined striking bin workers on the picket lines in Birmingham - following claims of bullying and harassment.

Employees who had kept on working during the long-running dispute joined strikers at Birmingham City Council's Smithfield depot this morning (Mon).

The agency staff, employed by Job & Talent, voted in favour of strike action two weeks ago over claims of bullying, harassment and the threat of blacklisting by the council.

The trade union Unite said 18 out of 22 agency staff who are members had voted to strike from December 1.

Binman Mike Masters said: "Richard Smith is the service manager at Perry Barr, he's the reason why the agency started coming out."

"They've had enough."

"I'm a full timer, I'm a driver and team leader. The agency lads phoned me and said they wanted to come out on strike. "

"I asked why and they said they were sick to death of being bullied and victimised, so they come out with us."

"When we come out on strike, they went to the agency guys, put their arm around them and said 'yeah, we'll look after you'."

"A month or two later, they're being victimised and bullied. They've put a pressure point on them that if they didn't complete the work they'd be sacked."

"That's why they're out on strike ands why we are where we are now."

Industrial action initially started in March after binmen walked out in a dispute with Birmingham City Council over pay and jobs.

Unite said the action for agency workers to strike was 'an unprecedented development'.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Birmingham council will only resolve this dispute when it stops the appalling treatment of its workforce."

"Agency workers have now joined with directly employed staff to stand up against the massive injustices done to them."

"Instead of wasting millions more of council taxpayers' money fighting a dispute it could settle justly for a fraction of the cost, the council needs to return to talks with Unite and put forward a fair deal for all bin workers. Strikes will not end until it does."

POS MFL