99.5% – the vote for continued strike action in a recent Unite reballot of the Birmingham bin workers. The Labour council has threatened ‘fire and rehire’ of bin workers unless they accept up to £8,000 of wage cuts. Imagine the discussions this could open up in Birmingham about what programme local council candidates should stand under, with the inclusion of bin and other council workers in that debate. The first demand of Birmingham bin workers on potential candidates would be that they pledge the immediate withdrawal of all attacks, instead of wasting taxpayers’ money on agency staff and union-busting. In the face of the devastating cuts in Birmingham, workers should demand that council candidates would set up a trade union-led inquiry into the ‘bankruptcy’ of Birmingham City Council and an immediate end to the mass selling of council assets.