Coventry bin workers vote for more industrial action

A six-month strike over pay and conditions ended in July last year

Coventry residents face more disruption to bin collections after fresh strikes have been announced.

Unite the union members have voted for industrial action almost a year after a six-month strike over pay ended.

The latest row is about a move to scrap a condition that allows refuse workers to leave work when collection rounds are finished rather than stay until the end of the working day.

The city council says it aims to minimise disruption.

The strike dates have not yet been confirmed.

Members of the ruling Labour group on Coventry council will meet on Monday evening to sign off plans to explore options to remove the historic task and finish condition - including the possibility of completely outsourcing waste collections.

The move is being made because members of another union, GMB, have launched around 200 equal pay claims against the council as a result of the male dominated refuse service benefitting from the condition while female members of staff, in other council departments, do not.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, told the BBC: "Collecting bins is dirty, smelly, heavy work undertaken come rain or shine all year round.

"Task and finish has been the norm for decades and is an industry standard provision that helps make the job more bearable.

"There is not a chance in hell our members are going to sit back and accept it being scrapped - nor should they. Plans to privatise the service are also non-negotiable."

Council bosses fear equal pay claims could end up costing the council tens of millions of pounds if action is not taken as soon as possible, something which could result in cuts to council services.

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: "We totally disagree with their stance. Employers and unions must be about equality and fairness to all. But the current and historic working practices in this service area are clearly not.

"This may have been a historical way of working but it is now being challenged as unfair by another union. Unite would do better to sit down and talk with GMB as well as ourselves to find a solution."