local council- Bin lorries will be on strike over Christmas and New Year in Coventry

Coventry City Council says it aims to resolve the impending bin strike proposed by bin lorry drivers due to low wages. However, strikes are currently going ahead.

The refuse collection drivers of Coventry have confirmed as of Tuesday 7th of December that they will be going on strike on the following dates: 

Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd. Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th of December. Then again Wednesday 5th of January and Friday 14th of January. This is one of the worst times of the years for this strike to be had as the country is having a national holiday. Very little could be done to help the residents. 

Additionally, there are concerns about public health if this dispute is not solved. Residents could risk a rat infestation and salmonella outbreak from the uncollected waste. (see video 2)

The members of the union, Unite, found that despite there being a shortage of qualified drivers, Coventry council have still decided to pay them £22,000 per annum, a stark difference from what other local authorities are paying refuse collectors, so they claim. 

In the council meeting held on Tuesday 7th of December. Coventry council discussed resolutions for the strike.

Councillor (Cllr) George Duggins, leader of the council stated that negotiations between the council and the union were in place to prevent the strike action.  Plans had not been made to accommodate for the strike as of the time of the meeting, but Cllr Duggins noted that he was confident in the council’s ability to resolve the issue. 

December negotiations have not been successful, and the strike will go ahead. 

In an interview held with the Lord Mayor of Coventry on Friday 26th of November, he responded to the question of how the council would handle a strike posed by the refuse collectors.  

He stated that negotiations would be made, but union members were 

“Yet to register a formal dispute”. But he is “hoping that we will resolve the dispute (…) if the proper procedures had been followed.”

At the council meeting on Tuesday the 7th of December, Cllr Heaven first questioned Cllr Hetherton about why details of the refuse rota for Christmas weekend and New Year had not yet been released. 

She also proposed that more should be done to prevent a strike to make sure that the citizens of Coventry would not have overflowing bins, all of
which Cllr Hetherton said was covered in the briefing. 

Cllr Lapsa raised the issue of public health as there is likely to be rat infestations and salmonella outbreaks if the bin strike is to go forward. He also raised an issue of bias, where he felt as though the ministers were sabotaging the residents through this strike as they too are union members. This speaks to the obvious tension between the Conservative party and Labour party.

Cllr Hetherton reassured the council that they were not trying to jeopardise the negotiations and that any further questions could be addressed to her in writing. 

Cllr Duggins, cabinet leader, concluded that as they were still in negotiations with the union to prevent strike action, they had not formulated plans in preparation for a strike.

 

Presently, strikes are still going ahead.