Coventry bin workers in new payment dispute with council

The Unite union has claimed that Coventry City Council recently withdrawn certain agreed payments for weekend working affecting its members.

A new dispute between bin workers and Coventry City Council has been lodged amid claims the council withdrew payments.

A six-month bin strike ended in July last year after a deal was reached over pay and conditions with Unite union members.

But, the trade union now says payments linked to the agreement were halted without consultation.

The council is "committed to ongoing dialogue" about pay concerns, it said.

An email sent to Coventry councillors, by local representative Peter Skerrett, has been leaked to the BBC.

It reads: "You will of course be aware that following nearly eight months of strike action involving our refuse driver members, we did finally reach an agreement last year.

"I am less sure if you are aware that for some of our members the payments linked to that agreement have now been withdrawn over the last few weeks. We had agreed that a review would take place.

"But equally no changes should have been enforced without first getting union agreement. Our view is that this now means that we are once again in dispute.

"We are willing to engage to find an agreed way forward. We are asking that while negotiations take place, the payments are reinstated. However, should this not be possible, then the next step will be to issue the council with notice for industrial action."

The BBC understands Labour councillors took part in a private emergency briefing on the situation at midday on Tuesday.

Last summer dozens of striking bin workers took part in a rally through Coventry city centre in a row over pay

Councillors were told the row revolved around the withdrawal of payments for weekend work.

They were also briefed the picture is further complicated by the fact another union, GMB, has now filed several equal pay claims against the council as a result of the pay and conditions deal it struck with Unite.

A Unite spokesman said an agreement with the council is in place to meet in the near future in an effort to "resolve this and outstanding related issues".

Michelle McCrossen, GMB organiser, said: "Our members aren't going to accept business as usual when it comes to valuing the work of women at Coventry City Council.

"We believe there are significant issues with how the council have structured the payment of certain key roles, and as part of this dispute GMB members have lodged claims to tackle it head on."

The local authority said it had not been "formally advised of a dispute" with any trade unions but it is engaged in ongoing dialogue with the GMB in "an attempt to resolve the issues they have raised".

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council added it had been informed of Unite's opposition to review an agreement on weekend working.