'The rubbish is alive' - rats feast as Birmingham bin workers strike

Rat populations are surging as cities heat up

Rats are, in many ways, better adapted to cities than the humans that built them. While urbanites struggle with crowds, sparse parking spaces, and their upstairs neighbors stomping around at 4 a.m., rats are living their best lives.

On top of the rubbish mounds on the streets of Birmingham, giant rats terrify residents. Around the huge piles that have accumulated since the beginning of the year, residents noticed the cat-sized rodents. Nearly 400 garbage trucks have been on strike in the city periodically since January.

'Plague of rats' warning issued after dispute leads to piles of rubbish

The industrial action, which escalated yesterday, has resulted in overflowing bins and heaps of rubbish bags littering streets across the city.

Birmingham bin strike sees rubbish piled on streets as workers walk off job indefinitely

Workers are being forced to accept salaries "barely above the minimum wage", according to the union - while the council has complained of disruption to residents and says workers won't be as badly hit as the union suggests.

'They need to value us!' Birmingham refuse workers demand to be 'paid fairly' in latest protest against council cuts

Bin workers in Birmingham have demanded the council to "pay them fairly" as nearly 400 employees walked out today over cuts

City overflowing with rubbish and rats after bin workers go on strike

A woman walking past rubbish that has been piling up in Sparkhill, Birmingham (Picture: Anita Maric/SWNS) Bin bags piled up high, rats and cockroaches – these are the scenes in Birmingham over recent weeks. Bin collectors have been striking on and off since January but today marks the start of an indefinite walkout for nearly 400 council bin workers which could last until summer. The most common sight for residents across the city is streets lin…