Coventry bin strikes: Full walkouts begin in pay row

The action is an escalation of the dispute which began in December

Bin lorry drivers in Coventry are starting a two-month-long strike in a row over pay.

Industrial action by Unite union members has been ongoing since December, but Monday sees full walk-outs until the end of March.

The union is calling for "fair pay" for drivers, while the council says it is one of the highest-paying local authorities in the West Midlands.

Both sides have recently met at independent arbitration service Acas.

While strike action so far has only lasted for a matter of days at a time, some residents have not had waste collected for up to five weeks.

Labour MP for Coventry North West, Taiwo Owatemi, said she wanted a solution to the dispute before the summer.

"Obviously I don't want a build up of rubbish in the city and I don't want a situation where this strike continues for a very long time," she said.

"What I would like to see, and I made it very clear to the council, is for both parties to sit down and get this sorted out as soon as possible and not let this drag on into the summer months."

Unite members have already taken limited strike action in December and January

Acas has been asked to help find a compromise on the issue of wages and a decision could be made in the next few days, following talks before the weekend.

Unite said strikes could be halted if the local authority tabled an acceptable deal.

On Sunday, George Duggins, leader of the Labour-led council, appealed to drivers not to go ahead with the action.

Several temporary waste collection sites have been opened across Coventry to allow residents to drop off rubbish, while a private waste firm owned by the local authority is being brought in to help collect bins.