Coventry City Council bin strike latest - industrial action, talks with Unite and drop-off points - The Coventry Observer

Coventry City Council bin strike latest - industrial action, talks with Unite and drop-off points

Coventry Editorial 3rd Jan, 2022   0

TALKS between Coventry City Council and the Unite union will restart tomorrow (Tuesday) with a view to bringing to an end the strike of the authority’s bin lorry driver.

As things stand, strike action is planned to go ahead on Wednesday and Thursday, January 5 and 6, and all week next week – from January 11 to 15.

Also from tomorrow and while the strike action is on, four drop-off points across the city will be open for residents from 8am to 4.30pmm seven days-a-week, to take securely bagged non-bulky waste to.

The sites are at Hearsall Common (off Beechwood Avenue), Sowe Common car park, War Memorial (main) car park and Cheylesmore car park (off New Union Street)




Directions are below, no appointment is necessary and people can visit – www.coventry.gov.uk/dropsites – to find out more about the sites.

 


Coventry City Council, in a statement, said it was disappointed to announce no agreement had been reached on the two issues bin lorry drivers had voted for strike action on.

It added negotiations included the use of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) which offered independent conciliation, arbitration and mediation.

And it claimed it had made a number of offers it believed to be generous to address 52-week working that focused around collections during the week between Christmas and New Year and additional pay.

The offers had been presented to the union by its members but were not accepted.

The council added: “Although we remain committed to continuing negotiations, we have limits to what we can offer as we are mindful of the duty we have to all of our 4,500-strong workforce and the possibility of future equal pay claims.”

The Coventry Conservative Group on the council has called on the authority to resolve the current bin strikes as soon as possible.

In a statement, the Conservatives’ Shadow Cabinet Member for City Services, Coun Mattie Heaven said there needed to be a longer-term review of the service and the strikes were just ‘the latest installment in a decade of chaos’.

“Missed bins are a regular occurrence across the city, year on year this seems to happen, often at Christmas – it is simply not good enough.

“With no end in sight this situation could exist well into the new year with the possibility of rubbish piling up on the streets.”

“That’s why for some time now we have been asking the Labour leadership of the council to test the market to ensure we’re providing the best service possible which they have steadfastly refused to do so.

“They now find themselves locked into this dispute with no Plan B while neighbouring Authorities, like Warwick see bins were being emptied as normal.”

The Conservatives also criticised the council for ‘only setting up four collection points’ which did not take into account arrangements for people without their own transport and those with a disability, the elderly and the vulnerable.

“These measures are clearly discriminatory and unfair on our long-suffering residents and not to mention the impact it will have on health and safety of our residents.”

 

  • What are your views on the strike? What has been you experience of the drop-off points organised by the council? Have you used them? How did you find them? Email your views to [email protected]

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