Page 1 of 9

Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2021 7:01 am
by dutchman
Waste service drivers could go on strike over Christmas as a union intends to ballot members over action, a council said

Industrial action by Unite members would mean it would be unable to provide a "meaningful service" to residents, Coventry City Council said.

It has urged the union to continue talks to resolve issues, which it said include additional pay and Christmas working arrangements.

Unite has been contacted for a comment.

"The timing of this has been deliberately chosen to cause the maximum disruption to residents as, if voted for, the strike would impact over the Christmas period and well into the New Year," a council spokesperson said.

Regarding additional pay, it said, the authority is "bound by strict and nationally agreed processes in evaluating salaries for jobs".

"Using those processes, we have re-evaluated the driving job involving the union and the result has seen it remain on the same pay scale as it currently is," the spokesperson added.

"To provide preferential treatment and override the established processes would not be fair to the other 4,500 people we employ as an organisation."

Over Christmas working, it said residents expect a service 52 weeks of the year and "we believe that our bin lorry drivers are contracted to deliver that" but has offered proposals that include additional pay to all waste crews during the week between Christmas and New Year.

"We remain committed to on-going talks with Unite and will do all that we can to lawfully resolve these issues," the council spokesperson said.

:bbc_news:

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2021 7:04 am
by dutchman
This is just the start. I can see all the unions putting the boot in now that inflation is out of control and there's a desperate shortage of workers.

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:25 pm
by dutchman
Unite say Coventry council should be 'ashamed' of its treatment of binmen ahead of strike vote

Image

The general secretary of trade union Unite has said Coventry City Council should be 'ashamed' ahead of a ballot over potential strike action among binmen in Coventry.

Union members are set to vote on whether to strike over the Christmas period over pay and working arrangements over the festive period for workers employed by the council.

Unite say that if 70 members vote in favour of industrial action then stoppages to bin collections in the city could begin before Christmas.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: "Coventry council should be thoroughly ashamed of its actions.

"Our members have continued to work throughout the pandemic providing a vital service to the residents of the city.

"Rather than appreciating their dedication and commitment the council appears determined to leave them languishing on poverty wages, which are far below market rates.

"Unite always puts the jobs, pay and conditions of its members front and centre and will be giving our members in this dispute its total support until these matters are resolved."

The dispute is based on the wages currently earned by refuse HGV drivers, which Unite say is currently £22,000, while wages for HGV drivers in other sectors and for bin lorry drivers in other councils have risen due to the national driver shortage the country is facing.

The ballot over whether to strike will begin on Friday (November 26).

Image

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:51 pm
by rebbonk
What does O'Boyle say? :lol:

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:03 pm
by dutchman
Coventry bin workers vote for Christmas strike

Image

Bin lorry drivers in Coventry have voted to take strike action over Christmas.

The members of the Unite union are demonstrating because of a dispute over pay and new Christmas working arrangements.

The union warned the action would cause "huge disruption" and "result in bins being left unemptied".

Coventry City Council said it was disappointed after making "a number of generous and sensible offers".

The first strike is due to last four days, starting on 21 December ending on Christmas Eve.

That will be followed by a two-day strike on 5 and 6 January, and a further four days of action from 11 to 14 January.

The union said it wanted a pay rise for the drivers, adding: "Despite the current severe shortages of qualified drivers, Coventry council is currently paying them as little as £22,000 per annum."

Members are also opposed to the introduction of new collections shifts over Christmas week.

The union said the strike ballot came out 98.5% in favour, with a turnout of over 90%.

In a statement, the council said: "As all local authorities, we are bound by strict and nationally agreed processes in evaluating salaries for jobs."

The new collections were being introduced because residents expect collections 52 weeks of the year, it added.

The union said the strikes could be avoided if "Coventry council brought forward an acceptable offer on pay and Christmas working".

:bbc_news:

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:43 pm
by dutchman
Coventry council rejects 'unacceptable' offer from bin drivers preparing to strike this Christmas

Coventry City Council have rejected 'not acceptable' plans which would have seen striking bin drivers partially return to work on strike days after bin lorry drivers balloted for industrial action last week.

Coventry's bin drivers who are members of union Unite voted to strike last Monday and put a proposal forward to Coventry which would see them return partially to work on strike days.

The proposal, which was rejected by Coventry City Council, would have seen drivers work for one hour and strike the next, before returning to the depot to carry out standard safety and COVID-19 checks before leaving the site for industrial action.

The council say that this meant that crews would hardly be on the road during those days but would allow drivers to receive half a day's pay.

Unite says the city council’s refusal to increase pay rates is in stark contrast to other local authorities who are keen to retain their refuse collection drivers and have sought to prevent them from being poached by employers offering higher pay, by increasing rates or paying retention payments.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “A 98 per cent vote in favour of industrial action shows the bin lorry drivers are fed up with low rates of pay. Especially when they see what they could earn elsewhere nowadays.

"The council can resolve this dispute if it wants to. It is not of our making.”

A council spokesperson said: "On Tuesday, January 4 when drivers will be working again, priority will be given to the vulnerable and clearing assisted bin collections as well as bins in flats which can pose a fire risk.

"On Friday, January 7 all household waste (green lidded bins) will collected from Friday properties regardless of whether or this is your scheduled collection day for household waste.

"On Tuesday, January 18 all household waste (green lidded bins) will be collected from Tuesday properties regardless of whether or not this is your scheduled collection day for household waste.

"Similarly, on Wednesday, January 19 all household waste (green lidded bins) will be collected from Wednesday properties regardless of whether or not this is your scheduled collection day for household waste, with the same happening on Thursday, January 20.

"Collections, as things stand, will return to normal on Friday, January 22, 2022."

Image

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 11:52 pm
by dutchman
New waste disposal sites to be opened across Coventry during Christmas bin strike

Coventry City Council has revealed plans to provide pop-up waste disposal sites where people can bring their refuse following the news that bin lorry drivers are set to strike.

The city council has revealed there will be four sites across the city where people can bring their waste, though there will be some restrictions in place regarding bulky items.

The spokesman said a number of plans are in place to enable some collections to go ahead and to ensure residents are able to dispose of any extra waste as easily as possible.

People can take securely bagged waste to one of four pop-up disposal points at the following locations:

    War Memorial Park car park – CV3 6PT

    Hearsall Common – CV5 6GN

    Cheylesmore car park – CV1 2HJ

    Sowe Common car park – CV2 2AE
The four sites will be open seven days a week between 8am and 4.30pm from Tuesday December 21 – except bank holidays.

Booking is not required and people can just turn up.

People are being urged to make sure waste is bagged securely to avoid any spillages and double-bagging of waste is recommended.

People are also advised to wear gloves when handling waste.

After arriving at the sites people will be directed by the on-site team.

Height restrictions for vehicles are in place and any over 6ft 9in or 2.05m will not be admitted.

Only bagged waste can be brought to the pop-up sites and no bulky items will be accepted.

Anyone wishing to dispose of bulky items should go to the Household Waste and Recycling Centre (the tip) on London Road.

Visits to the tip need to be booked via the council’s website here or by calling the customer services team on 08085 834333.

People will be asked to unload the bagged waste from their car into a holding area.

The on-site team will take it from there.

They will then be directed to the exit.

Pedestrians need to use the same entrance points and will be directed by the on-site team.

With garden waste collections paused until February the council is advising people to use their brown lidded bins provide a good additional storage facility for any waste that will not fit in the household or recycling bin.

Image

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:37 pm
by dutchman
Anger as residents abuse bin men over Christmas strike action in Coventry

Coventry City Council has hit out after reports that bin men have been getting verbal abuse from residents due to the impending strikes.

The council has stated abuse, which they say has mainly been aimed at bin collectors who have not voted for strike action, is not acceptable in any way.

A council spokesperson said: “It has been brought to our attention that some of our bin crews have received verbal abuse as they go about their work since the strike was announced.

“This has largely been directed at the bin collectors – who have not voted to strike – but no abuse, in any format, will be tolerated against any of our employees. Please treat people as you would like to be treated.”

The strike over pay discrepancies was set to start on 21 December, the week before Christmas.

However the council has now announced Unite, the union behind the strike, has pushed the strike back to the new year, avoiding a festive refuse crisis in the process.

The council's spokesman said of the move: "“We have been notified by Unite that their strike involving bin lorry drivers has been postponed until the week starting 4 January 2022.

"We welcome this news and will continue to talk to union representatives in an attempt to lawfully resolve the issues they have raised with us."

Image

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 11:54 pm
by dutchman
Bin lorry drivers 'reject' pay talks offer

Image

No household waste collections will take place in Coventry after Christmas after pay talks between bin lorry drivers and the council collapsed.

The drivers recently called off planned industrial action postponing it until January, but talks since have led to no agreement, the city council said.

There will be no collections during the Christmas and New Year period.

"Generous" offers had been made, but rejected, the council said. Trade union Unite was not available for comment.

Four drop-off points have been set up across the city where residents can drop off securely bagged non-bulky waste between 08:00 and 16:30 GMT from 29 December.

In a statement, the council said: "The council has made a number of what we believe to be generous offers to address 52-week working that focused around collections during the week between Christmas and New Year and additional pay.

"Our offers have now been presented by the union to its members, but unfortunately these were not accepted."

Although the authority said it was committed to negotiations, it had "limits" to what could be offered as it was "mindful" of the possibility of future equal pay claims within its 4,500 workforce.

Strike action is due to go ahead on 5 and 6 January and all week from 11 January.

Talks between the council and Unite are due to start again on 4 January.

:bbc_news:

Re: Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 2:40 am
by dutchman
What happened to the extra bin liners they normally deliver this time of year? :roll: