Coventry refuse collectors set to strike

Unite the Union has labelled plans to fire and rehire bin workers as “abhorrent” and warned Coventry City Council to prepare for imminent strikes.

The union is expected to rally workers in opposition to the Council’s plans, which are aimed at avoiding equal pay claims.

Current ‘task and finish’ terms have enabled refuse collectors to finish work early, and these have typically been unavailable to staff in more traditionally female roles.

As a result, the local authority faced more than 200 equal pay claims from female staff, who have argued that this entails unfair treatment.

Workers will be forced to either agree to new conditions without recourse to the ‘task and finish’ system, or have their contracts terminated and be offered a new job under these new terms.

It follows a six-month strike in 2022 involving refuse workers, during which drivers won a 12.9% pay rise following a row over pay.

The fact that the council is prepared to engage in the same despicable behaviour as rogue employers like P&O, shows that this is an organisation that has become completely unmoored from its Labour roots 

Onay Kasab, Unite National Lead Officer

Responding to the decision, Unite National Lead Officer, Onay Kasab, criticised the Council, saying: “The fact that the council is prepared to engage in the same despicable behaviour as rogue employers like P&O, shows that this is an organisation that has become completely unmoored from its Labour roots. 

“Our members are clear they will not be treated like this and Unite will stand with them for as long as it takes.”

The report ensures that we have fair and common terms and conditions across the city council

Councillor Patricia Hetherton

The Council’s Cabinet Member for City Services, Councillor Patricia Hetherton, has argued that the move is necessary to end the present “two-tier workforce”.

“The report ensures that we have fair and common terms and conditions across the city council,” she said at a meeting of the Council on 5 December”.

An alternative proposal to outsource bin collections was rejected due to perceived high costs and a lack of Council control.

A Council spokesperson suggested the report should remain open to debate by officers before proposals are decided upon in consultation with Council colleagues.