A Birmingham resident dressed as a giant rat confronted city council members this week, demanding answers over a mounting garbage crisis that has left an estimated 21,000 tons of waste piling up due to an ongoing bin worker strike.
The garbage crisis in Birmingham, England, began in March when sanitation workers launched a full-scale strike in protest of proposed pay cuts, according to NPR. With negotiations between the Unite union and the city council at a standstill, refuse collection has halted across large parts of the city.
The resulting garbage buildup has triggered a public health concern, fueled a surge in the rodent population and sparked accusations of unequal sanitation services across socio-economic and racial lines.
During a full Birmingham City Council meeting earlier this week, a man appeared in costume as the "Selly Oak Rat," initially staying in character during an interview with Sky News sarcastically praise the council for the "buffet of rubbish" now available to the city's rodents.
The resident later dropped the act at the meeting to pose a serious question, "By what date does the council think it will reduce the backlog, reduce the rat population and return our streets to an acceptable state?" His theatrical protest underscored growing public frustration over what many see as a mismanaged crisis.
Councilmember Majid Mahmood acknowledged the problem and cited ongoing efforts, including police assistance in clearing depots, which helped remove thousands of tons of trash over the weekend.
Despite some progress, talks between the city and the union remain unresolved, prolonging the strike and delaying any full-scale cleanup.
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