Strikes 'imminent' over fire and rehire decision

Unite has told the council to prepare for walkouts

Coventry City Council has been told to expect "imminent" strikes over a decision to fire and rehire bin workers which was passed on Wednesday.

The move by the council is intended to avoid it facing equal pay claims.

Under current "task and finish" terms, refuse collectors have been able to finish work early, while staff in more traditionally female roles have not.

The Unite union has labelled the plan "abhorrent".

About 130 members of staff are believed to be affected and the local authority said the new contracts were important to provide more flexibility.

The local authority has faced more than 200 equal pay claims from female members of staff who argue the male-dominated waste services team receives a benefit they do not.

Onay Kasab likened the council's decision to that of P&O

The council decision means bin workers will either have to agree to new terms, or have their current contract ended and be offered a new job on the new terms.

Labour chiefs at the authority passed the plan, although the Conservatives confirmed they would not oppose it.

Residents in Coventry are not unfamiliar with industrial action by refuse crews.

A six-month strike ended in 2022 following a row over pay that saw drivers awarded a 12.9% rise.

'Despicable behaviour'

The Unite union said the job involved heavy, dirty, smelly and unpleasant work – and likened the council to P&O Ferries which caused controversy by firing more than 800 workers in March 2022 and replaced them with lower-paid agency staff.

National lead officer, Onay Kasab said: "The fact that the council is prepared to engage in the same despicable behaviour as rogue employers like P&O, shows 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 it fight off the council’s threats."