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From The Socialist newspaper, 19 January 2022
Coventry bin strike continues in face of Labour council's stunts and lies
Coventry bin workers on strike, January 2022, photo Dave Nellist (Click to enlarge)
Michael Morgan, Coventry Socialist Party
Socialist Party members have continued to show support for striking bin workers in Coventry as the Labour council continues its campaign of disinformation and lies about bin workers' pay. The union has also agreed to go 'all out' from 31 January, meaning there won't be any collections during February and March unless the council offers a fair deal to the workers.
The public have continued to show support for the strike, with plenty of honking cars and kind words passing by the picket. On a Socialist Party stall, we talked to the public about the strike, with many seeing how the council was at fault in the dispute. Many found the council's suggestion to take your black bags to their drop-off points by bike if you can't drive ridiculous and offensive. Many of the public also wonder what their council tax pays for, and the workers have been right to point out that council taxpayers in Coventry are paying more, for less, now.
One van was sent to collect bin bags from a care home to opportunistically paint management in a good light in the local press. Workers pointed out that the total salary of those in the van would be more than £500,000. Surely if they can afford that for a photo opportunity, they can afford to give the bin workers more than a poverty wage!
Many on the picket line feel that the Labour council is 'Labour by name, Tory by policy', and see the need for an alternative beyond Labour. This is why we will work as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and stand against right-wing Labour councils, and we would encourage bin workers to vote for and stand as anti-cuts candidates in the local elections.
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In The Socialist 19 January 2022:
What we think
News
No trust in Tories to keep us safe
Tories hand cash to private health profiteers
Tory vaccine sacking threat set to deepen NHS staffing crisis
Employers use vaccine excuse to attack sick pay
International news
Murder of Ashling Murphy sends shocks waves across Ireland and beyond
Northern Ireland: Workers fight threatened closure of women's hostel
US: Independent Socialist Group launches new paper
Eyewitness account of workers' uprising in Almaty, Kazakhstan
Public services
Mutual aid, the welfare state and the fight for a new mass workers' party
Marxist classics
Why are things the way they are?
Rob Windsor
Rob Windsor - remembering a tireless fighter for socialism
Theatre
Workplace news
Sheffield Just Eat couriers speak about strike
S Yorks Stagecoach strike results in "huge pay win"
Scunthorpe scaffs resume indefinite strike action
Bus driver Tracey Scholes reinstated at Go North West
Royal Mail: Unofficial walkouts precede bigger battle to come on pay and workload
Newham college strike solid against bully privatisers
Somers Forge workers continue pay strike
Campaigns
NUS walkout: Organise to fight for free education on 2 March
Demonstrating against the Tory anti-protest bill
Waltham Forest: Campaign unites families facing eviction
Newham council rejects using 0.03% of reserves to fund arts
Birmingham: Cuts consultations replaced by computer game
Southampton uni ignores staff and students in exam farce
Oliver Campbell - 31 years fighting for justice
Bournemouth - angry people not represented by capitalist parties
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