Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

[rebbonk]

I thought both sides had agreed to be bound by the ACAS ruling?

In my view, the drivers are being foolish (not to mention misled). The money they have lost will never be replaced, and I think they are being used as pawns in a bigger argument that is nothing to do with them.

[dutchman]

Recycling collections expected to restart

Recycling collections are set to restart next week in Coventry despite ongoing strikes by bin workers.

An all-out strike has been staged in the city since 31 January by about 75 bin lorry drivers in a stand-off with the council over pay.

Residents currently only have household waste collected every two weeks.

Garden waste collections should also restart from the middle of April, the council's director of street scene said.

Andrew Walster said the local authority was still finalising details on both schemes and expected to have a "couple of weeks of bedding in" with the recycling collections.

"Obviously people will have used some of those bins for storage and what have you, we will need to work through that over the next two or three weeks," he said.

[dutchman]

Unite suspends Coventry's Labour councillors over bitter binmen pay dispute



The bitter pay dispute between Coventry City Council and its striking binmen shows no signs of stopping after relations between the sides took another setback. Trade union Unite, which represents the binmen, fuelled the fire further by suspending all Labour councillors in Coventry from its membership.

The trade union's general secretary Sharon Graham announced the shock move, which comes after the local authority suspended Unite deputy convenor Pete Randle, during a rally of disgruntled workers in Broadgate today (March 26). She said: "And I now speak directly to you, Unite Labour councillors of Coventry and the council leader. Today I put you on notice, that you will today receive your suspension letters from Unite.

"You will no longer be able to hold office in Unite or be part of our structures, while we investigate your behaviour. And rest assured, you won’t be getting your hands on any of my members' money for your elections in May!"

In her speech, Mrs Graham rounded on council leader George Duggins, saying. "What about the council leader - Councillor Duggins - the elected leader of the council - where is he? Why is he not in the negotiations? Why is he not doing the job he is paid for?

"Councillor Duggins - you were elected by the people of Coventry. Stop hiding behind your curtain and get in the room and negotiate. This is your responsibility and this mess lies at your door.

"You and I know both know councillors can and should intervene. I’ve been in many negotiations with council leaders - some of them Tory! What does that say about you."

Tony Woodhouse, Unite's executive chairman, opened the #paytherate rally, stating: "Coventry City Council's HGV drivers deserve to be paid the rate that colleagues elsewhere are getting. You can settle this dispute next week but not until Pete Randle is reinstated also."

[rebbonk]

Our bin men have sacrificed wages, our council have sacrificed money they needn't have spent, what has Mrs Graham sacrificed?

[dutchman]

Bin collections disrupted in Coventry by protest outside Tom White Waste depot



Coventry residents are facing delays to bin collections after protesters blocked the Tom White Waste depot in Coventry. Strikers say they are campaigning for 'fair pay' and have been locked in a bitter dispute with the council for several months - but have today been blamed for delaying collections.

Protesters could be seen chanting 'Pay the Rate' as they obstructed refuse collectors working for the council-owned company. Witnesses say 'not a single refuse lorry left the depot this morning' which has caused chaos for collections across the city.

Now the authority has revealed collections have been disrupted. Coventry City Council has been working with Tom White Waste since the beginning of February to empty residents' bins after bin lorry drivers went on an all-out strike in January.

Earlier this month, 94 per cent of bin lorry drivers voted for the strike to be extended once again in a new ballot. It was due to come to an end this month but will now run into the summer.

Coventry City Council has told residents to leave their bins out until tomorrow (March 31) as collections are likely to be missed due to ongoing protests.

Coventry City Council shared the following post on Facebook. "Crews were unable to get out on time today. If we miss your scheduled collection please leave your bin out and we will get back to you tomorrow. Thanks for your patience."

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: "It's likely that some of the rounds won't have been completed."

Unite say the council is not paying the drivers enough money - and say the authority is wasting a lot of public money on the strike. The council rejects this.

[rebbonk]

As far as I'm concerned the binmen have lost the argument. They agreed to be bound by an ACAS ruling and have reneged on that. Bottom line, they have been used and sold down the river by their leadership.

The best thing that can now be done is that they return to work, stop bleating, and lick their wounds over the money that they have lost and will never recover. - And I say that, as someone who at one time, believed in unions. Frank Chapple, destroyed my beliefs in unions.

[dutchman]

Coventry bin drop-off site to close permanently on Monday

Coventry City Council has announced the permanent closure of one bin drop-off site from today (April 18). As the summer months approach, there will be more festivals and outdoor events taking place across the city.

To allow residents to enjoy the outdoors, the council has decided to shut down one bin drop-off site. The War Memorial Park site will no longer be in use from today.

Garden waste collections will run again on Tuesday, April 19. This is to free up space for summer events, including BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May and Godiva Festival in September, the council said.

All bin drop-off sites will be shut from May 16, the council said. A statement red: "From Monday, April 18, the War Memorial Park drop site will close permanently. This will allow the park to prepare for the summer events ahead, including BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May and Godiva Festival in September.

"It will also free up parking space as the weather improves and more people want to enjoy the park. The changes will mean that there are more vehicles available to re-introduce brown-lidded garden waste collections. With garden waste collections will start again in the city on Tuesday, April 19.

"Garden waste collections will run alongside blue-lidded recycling collections. It is expected that all drop sites will close permanently on May 16, after all three collections have settled back onto a routine.

"This is also when the permission from the Environment Agency to operate the site runs out."

The following sites will open only on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 8am-4.30pm. Wyken Slough will be open Saturday and Sunday only.

• Sowe Common car park
  
• Leicester Row car park
  
• Wellington Street car park
  
• Coventry Community Resource Centre
  
• Willenhall Social Club car park
  
• Telfer Road car park
  
• Wyken Slough (Saturday and Sunday only)

[dutchman]

Garden Bin collections supposedly resumed again yesterday.

Did anyone actually get their Garden Bin emptied as they didn't around here?

[rebbonk]

Mine goes out tonight. - I'll let you know.

[dutchman]

Poll shows two-thirds think Coventry bin strike pay demands are 'reasonable'



A major union has commissioned a survey which revealed that 92% of Coventry residents say solving the bin strike dispute should be prioritised by Coventry City Council. Union Unite say a 77% majority of locals want the council to reach a pay settlement to end the dispute, including 86 per cent of people who voted Labour in the 2019 General Election.

It was found that 67 per cent of residents believe the drivers’ call to be paid the market rate for their jobs, similar to that paid to the drivers in nearby Birmingham, is a 'reasonable' one. Just 23 per cent of residents say such a rate would be unreasonable.

The union commissioned a survey by pollsters Survation, who interviewed 528 residents of the Coventry Council online. Their results were then weighted to the profile of all adults in Coventry.

The union say the poll is a "stark warning" to councillors, as it also revealed that most residents aged over 55, the cohort most likely to turnout in the forthcoming elections, have an unfavourable opinion of the Labour Council. A majority of 35-54-year-olds also share this view, according to Unite.

Residents aged between 18 and 34, an age group with a lower comparable voter turnout, had a more favourable view.

The union claims locals delivered an "unequivocal message" to council leader George Duggins. It was found that 77 per cent of residents believe that he should personally attend meetings to assist in resolving the dispute.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “It’s quite clear that the people of Coventry are well and truly fed up with the council’s conduct during this dispute. Overwhelmingly, they say that the council should settle this dispute as a priority, and they back the drivers’ reasonable demand to be paid the rate for the job.

“Only a foolish council would ignore such clear and direct instructions from their own residents. These calls are being made by the people who pay the wages of council leader George Duggins. So he should respect their wishes and solve this dispute. It’s not complicated, just pay the rate, as they do in Birmingham, and get these drivers back to work.”

70 HGV drivers have been on an all-out strike since January as they remain in a bitter dispute with the council over low pay. Unite say the workers’ basic rate of pay begins at £22,183 per annum which they claim is below the pay rates of neighbouring councils.

HGV drivers will be taking to the streets of Coventry tomorrow (May 3) as they stage a march and rally outside the Coventry Council House at 11am.