Bin strikes loom as council prepares to fire and rehire workers

Andrew Walster, from Coventry City Council, said removal of the task and finish practice was non-negotiable

Every council bin worker in Coventry is set to have their contract terminated in a bid to end a lengthy dispute over working conditions.

The move could mean more bin strikes in the city with Labour-run Coventry City Council preparing to vote next month on the plans.

The proposals would involve the firing and rehiring of 130 members of staff in the waste services team.

The Unite union urged a rethink and said the council was using "some of the worst tactics" by employers.

Onay Kasab, Unite’s lead officer, accused the council of “a race to the bottom” and warned of more industrial action by their members.

Council officials argued change was needed after failing to reach an agreement with Unite members over the end of a practice known as task and finish.

The condition means bin workers are able to finish their shifts as soon as their work is completed.

But it has led to more than 200 equal pay claims from female members of staff at the council - who argue the male-dominated waste services team receives a benefit they do not.

The Unite union accused the council of using some of the "worst tactics" of employers

The other option on the table was to terminate workers’ contracts and completely outsource the service but the BBC understands the preferred option among the Labour council leadership was to dismiss and re-engage existing employees.

Staff would be offered contracts on the same terms, condition and pay but with the task and finish condition removed, the authority said.

Andrew Walster, director of the council's street scene and regulatory services, told the BBC the council would continue dialogue with Unite and employees but removal of task and finish was non-negotiable.

He said: “We cannot continue with that practice going forward and we have to change it one way or another.

“Unfortunately there are none of the normal routes. We can’t buy this out as a term and condition, because that would be buying out and potentially producing another equal pay claim, and none of us want that.”

Mr Walster also said there could be some job losses as part of the planned changes to the way the waste collection service was delivered.

Onay Kasab, from the Unite union, urged the council to rethink its plans

For Unite, Mr Kasab, Unite’s lead officer, said forcing employees to give up existing conditions would be “an absolute disgrace”.

He said: “This is a Labour administration planning to use some of the worst tactics used by some of the worst employers, by firing and rehiring. I hope that, once this news goes out, that there’s a rethink.”

Mr Kasab also warned there could be disruption to bin collections over Christmas, with members having already voted for strike action.

A previous strike over terms and conditions in 2022 led to a six-month strike.

He said: “If the council are looking at firing and rehiring our members on worse conditions, then industrial action is very much back on the table.”