Union to ballot over Christmas bin strike in Coventry

Coventry City Council said it was informed by Unite of the union to ballot the HGV drivers in waste services who are members

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."

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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.