Coventry Bin Strike: Demonstration planned ahead of further walkouts
It's after two months of strikes were announced from next month.
A demonstration is being held outside the Council House in Coventry today (Tuesday 18th January), to put pressure on councillors to take action to end the ongoing bin strike.
It's after the Unite Union announced two whole months of walkouts, starting in February, in the dispute over pay and working conditions.
This means for residents that there will be no collections of any kind in February and March.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
“Coventry councillors must be ashamed of the lies and misinformation circulated in their name and should demand that action is immediately taken to ensure a fair wage for refuse collection drivers, which will resolve this dispute.
“Coventry is supposedly a Labour council but that will not change Unite’s commitment one iota to protect the jobs, pay and conditions of its members.
"Other councils have increased the pay of refuse collection drivers to protect bin collections, there is no reason why Coventry can’t follow suit.”
In response, the city council say they are one of the highest paying local authorities in the West Midlands for Class II HGV drivers, who drive the city’s bin lorries.
Andrew Walster, Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services at the Council says:
“We remain committed to continuing to work with Unite to resolve this situation and have done everything asked of us during the negotiations so far.
“Today’s announcement has also come 24 hours ahead of further planned talks tomorrow at which we hope to move things forward positively, so the timing of this escalation of strike action is both surprising and upsetting.
“We have made what we believe are very good offers in attempt to resolve the strike, so we are bitterly disappointed that the response has been to announce even more strike dates.
“While we respect the democratic right of the Unite members to strike, it is residents and businesses that are being impacted most by their action.
All nine drop off sites will remain open for anyone throughout the strike for residents to dispose of their waste.
You can find out where they are here