What is the Coventry bin strike all about and why is Unite threatening to pull its Labour funding?

By ITV News Central Trainee Barnaby Papadopulos

Refuse collection drivers in Coventry have been striking since the end of January - with no plans to stop until March, unless their demands are met.

While Coventry City Council has now contracted a private company to collect rubbish fortnightly, issues remain for residents, who have said their waste is not being collected on time.

The strike is also having wider political implications, with Unite the Union - once a key financial backer of the Labour party - now threatening to pull its remaining funding unless the party supports the striking bin collectors.

So what's behind the strike, and why are Unite so angry?

Why are refuse collectors on strike?

HGV drivers in the city are paid between £11.49 and £14.37 an hour - but have said this is not enough, and that pay should increase, especially in light of the cost of living crisis.

Unite the Union, which backs them, has said it is "unwavering" in their fight to get members a "fair deal".

Drivers had gone on strike before - but only for a few days at a time. Now, their strike is set to continue for six more weeks.

About 75 workers are on strike.

Coventry City Council has said it made an offer to increase the lowest rate of pay so that drivers start on at least £12.50 an hour, but claims this was rebuffed.

I live in Coventry - what does this strike mean for me?

The strike looks set to roll on and Coventry City Council has hired a private company to deal with refuse collection. This should happen every two weeks.

Temporary, pop up rubbish collection points have also been set up throughout the city.

It's also possible you could bump into some of the striking drivers, who have been out protesting their case on the streets.

What have the council said?

Coventry City Council said they are one of the "highest paying local authorities in the West Midlands."

Their website states that Unite, which represents the striking drivers, has rejected its offers and says that the situation is "out of our control."

"The Council is limited on what else it can offer, as it must be rightly mindful of the duty it has to all of its 4,500-strong workforce and the possibility of future equal pay claims from other trade unions."

What is Unite the Union, and what is their relationship with the Labour party?

Unite is the second largest workers union in the UK, representing over a million people who work in a number of sectors.

It's backing the striking bin collectors in Coventry, who are demanding a pay increase from the council.

The union has always supported the Labour party, and is a key financial donor.

But after the election of Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader in 2020, relations between party and union cooled. In October of that year, the union cut £150,000 worth of funding from Labour.

Now, the union's new general secretary Sharon Graham has said that all funding to Labour is "under review". They are angry that Coventry's Labour council has chosen to hire a private company to do the work rather than agreeing to worker demand.

In a speech, she urged Labour to "pick up the phone and get this sorted".

"It's utterly disgusting that this council is putting workers through this misery."

Speaking to ITV Central, a spokesperson from Unite said that Ms Graham's comments from last week "still stands".

"While this dispute runs without a fair resolution for our members and while the misrepresentation of our members by the council continues, then all funding is under review."