COVENTRY bin strikes began yesterday after councillors refused to lift workers out of low pay during last-minute talks, their union Unite said. 

More than 70 staff, who are paid just £22,183 a year, began 48-hours of walkouts at 7am, with further strikes set to take place between Tuesday and Friday next week.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham accused the city council of rejecting meaningful negotiations despite workers agreeing to postpone industrial action over Christmas.

“Coventry’s intransigence is particularly baffling considering the efforts of other councils to retain their HGV drivers in the face of nationwide shortages,” she said.  

In a statement, the council said it was “bitterly disappointed” but remains committed to finding a solution. 

The action comes after Unite announced it had negotiated a “groundbreaking” job reclassification for 46 HGV refuse drivers in Plymouth.

The shift from “unskilled” to “semi-skilled” status will see the workers take home a 12.5 per cent wage uplift, worth about £3,000 a year. 

The deal should be a “wake-up call” for councillors over poverty pay rates, Ms Graham stressed.