Coventry bin strikes: New deal proposed in dispute

Unite members have been on all-out strike since 31 January

A new deal has been offered to bin lorry drivers in Coventry who have been striking for almost six months in a bitter pay dispute.

Unite members had voted in favour of continuing industrial action into the summer after failing to reach agreement with the council.

The workers have been on all-out strike since 31 January.

Onay Kasab, from Unite, said: "We do finally have a proposal from the employers.

"We will go through it carefully with our members and I'm hopeful we will reach an agreement," he told BBC CWR.

The local authority has proposed that drivers earn at least £27,393 and receive £4,000 tax-free payment to buy out existing working arrangements including Christmas working and the collection of side waste.

Council chiefs have previously disputed figures put forward by the union and rejected claims staff are poorly paid.

Bin lorry drivers have continued to hold demonstrations in the city

During the long-running row, the Labour-run authority has provided waste collections via a private contractor it owns. Temporary drop-off sites have also been set up.

A spokesman for Coventry City Council said it remained "committed" to continuing discussions with union members to "lawfully resolve this issue".

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