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Scab ‘Labour’ Council spends over £3 million in 7 weeks trying to break bin strike

Far more than it would have cost to just settle dispute, says Parliamentary candidate

The scab Labour-right controlled Coventry Council has spent more than £3 million in just seven weeks trying to break the strike by low-paid bin workers facing pay cuts of £1-2,000 a year, according to the former Labour MP who is standing against the party in the by-election triggered by the death of Jack Dromey.

Dave Nellist, who was expelled by Labour under Neil Kinnock’s purge of left-wingers in the early 1990s, told viewers of Not the Andrew Marr Show the details of the council’s reckless and profligate spending on ‘scab’ contractors to try to break the resistance of its workforce:

When a council uses scabs, let alone spending more to break a strike than it would cost to settle the dispute, it is unfit to present itself as a Labour Council.

Nellist is standing in the Birmingham Erdington by-election only twenty miles or so from Coventry centre but spent many years as a Coventry councillor.

Residents of Birmingham saw similar behaviour from their city’s ‘Labour’ council, which tried to cut the wages of bin workers among its poorest paid employees. The workers won that dispute after revelations that the council had agreed on a deal and then reneged on it.

Last week Keir starmer caused justified outrage when he sneered at the idea that any industrial dispute in Coventry was relevant0 to relations between Labour and the unions, demonstrating contempt for a working-class city and its people.

The party’s treatment of the most vulnerable workers again exposes the poisonous reality of the so-called ‘Labour’ right and Erdington voters would do well to send the clearest possible message to Keir Starmer that they are not fooled by the colour of a rosette and want real change, left policies and socialist principles.

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68 comments

    1. shows their priorities. their priorities r not ours. never 4get it. they have never shared our values. they r only in labour 2 keep things as is while giving their blue chums a break.

      1. status quo guard rats have us “caught as between the hammer and the anvil”.
        of course, rampant exploitation of “the many” by “the few”, has always happened. but now, with easy access to info wherever & whenever, we can all find out their brazen corruption.
        how painful to know that sir starmer & co’s only aim is more same old same old, of except sir keith’s excessively stiffened max headroom.

        think of it. one couple alone was gifted a ppe contract of approx one point seven billion pounds. the suddenly billionaires quickly bought themselves a thirty plus million pound caribbean villa, an equestrian centre, + other 1% luxuries. has anyone anywhere heard sir keith mention this ? … ? . . . ?

        no . . . neither have i

      2. The areas that are competing for funds will be things like social care and social services. There may also be considerable knock on costs under equal (equivalent) pay legislation to take into consideration. The real villains here are not the Labour Council doing their best to allocate the very limited resources that they have but the Tory government who have dramatically cut Local Authority funding

      3. …The real villains here are not the Labour Council doing their best to allocate the very limited resources that they have but the Tory government who have dramatically cut Local Authority funding…

        That’s some serious mental agility there!

        You should quit being a labour supporter and start working for the yanks.

        Absolute horse shit of a statement. Well done Luke👏👏👏

    1. Thanks for this Goldbach – tried to “like” but couldn’t – it is very interesting and unfortunately very true.

      1. Indeed.

        Nowt to disagree with there. Nowt whatsoever.

        Unless you’re a certain type of weirdo who who thinks that lying isn’t lying…Or that pledges overtly broken are a sign of virtuous fidelity – even when even the smarmer friendly media are saying he’s reneged.

        Or the type of weirdo who publishes poll after poll in favour of keef but would vehemently disagree – almost to the point of going into convulsions – with the poll in that video that showed Corbyn a full 32% ahead of the box-headed one and make all sorts of excuses as to why that particular one should be ruled invalid.

        Yes, you’d have to be some sort of mental deficient to even attempt to disagree with any of the points raised in that video.

        Thanks, goldbach. I’ve the feeling I’ll be referring to that quite frequently in future.

  1. Spending public money recklessly in order to subjugate the work force is a Thatcherite tactic. I just hope this action by Coventry Council is widely publicised and the electorate vote kick these” Labour” councillors out. The people of Coventry deserve better than Tories by another name.
    Also Full support and Solidarity with Dave Nellist who is standing in the Erdington bye election. He is the sort of candidate we want but unfortunately he would be no more welcome in Starmer’s Labour than he was in Kinnock’s.
    Kinnock was a disaster for Labour and Starmer is not far behind him.

  2. No wonder keef was sniggering… £3m in 7 weeks? Took him a two years to spunk £13m…

    Also, keef thinking he’s that Van Tam fella with his football-based analogy about the covid restrictions being lifted.

    No, lad

    Just no. 🙄

  3. John Pilger has recently written about the former ‘Age of politics’ preceding the new ‘Age of propaganda.”
    Keith Starmer is now enacting the latter. I doubt he much cares for John Pilger though.

  4. I doubt he much cares for John Pilger though.

    He’s probly like to see Pilger banged up a-la Assange.

  5. I don’t suppose anyone knows how many workers Coventry has on strike?

    I’ll happily bet a whole fiver it ain’t 1.5 million workers

    1. At least any profits made by the private refuse contractor will end up back in the council’s own coffers.

      1. Why are the councillors directors of the company steve h or just friends with brown envelopes.You sink lower by the day with your support from the devils island bolt hole.Is it windy in the windys steve?Ps And jesus wept because he had a few scabs like you in his followers.

      2. Joseph – I have absolutely no idea, maybe it is a similar situation to government ministers being nominally the shareholders of state owned companies whereas it is the office that holds the shares and not the individual. Why don’t you do some research and let us all know.

        When are you going to grow up?

  6. How? Not following the logi – unless the council is the single 100% shareholder of the private refuse collector. What am I missing?

    1. qwertboi – You got it in one

      Coventry City Council has completed the purchase of a waste management firm in a deal worth nearly £15million.
      Last month, it was revealed the council were discussing a deal to purchase Tom White Waste Limited.
      Today, it has been confirmed the council has acquired the Longford based disposal firm.
      According to a press release from Tom White Waste Limited, the firm was sold to the council for £14.75million.
      Prior to this deal, there has been a relationship between the council and the firm, as the council has held a contract with Tom White Waste since 2009 to sort and recycle all of the city’s domestic waste.

      https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/council-buys-recycling-yard-almost-17875004

      1. And this doesn’t strike you as “underhand” in any way (if it’s true)?

        To me, a ‘mitigating losses’ justification for buying the profiteer is very wrong AND, by reducing the cost of the strike (to the council), makes the right-wing labourites behind the move, look more aggressively anti-worker.

        If you are impressed by the labour right’s ‘business’ acumen here, at least acknowledge that it changes the probable motivation of the council to resolve the dispute equitably.

        This is – possibly – “dirty politics” and an unwelcome sign of the lengths the LabourRight will go to, to weaken the Labour Movement and the workers it represents.

        This fact alone – if true – will soon be identified by Labour Unions and this – more than any flag waving chicanery – will distance them from Starmer’s LP.

        FWIW – I hope SW reads this post and investigates your claims and, if true, publicises ten with an article. It would help Union Leaders recognise the true nature of the LabourRight.

  7. So council-owned services are private contractors now?

    And the glaring thing you’ve missed is: “Tom White waste bring on agency staff”.

    So much for keefs’ pledge #7 😙🎶

  8. Also, from that link you helpfully provided:

    Unite claims the agency workers being recruited for Tom White Waste are being offered between £18 and £20 per hour which is in excess of the pay rates currently received by the striking refuse bin collection drivers. It adds the current pay rate for the council’s bin lorry drivers is between £11.49 to £14.37 an hour and says its regrading claim would take bin lorry drivers’ pay to between £14 and £17 an hour

    What’s so bleedin’ clever about THAT, soft ollies? Where’s the VFM there then?

    1. Toffee – I know this already, I provided the link. I haven’t said anything about whether it was clever or not I have simply brought this situation to the attention of you and others.

      1. I’ll say it AGAIN…

        So much for KEEF’S pledge #7.

        Got owt to say to that? Gonna defend his snickering as well as his pile o’ shite pledges that aren’t worth a carrot, and never were?

      2. Toffee – Keir is not the elected leader of Coventry City Council.

      3. But he sniggers and sneers at those workers’ plight, doesn’t he?

        Despite reneging on pledges to protect them.

        And you defend that. We KNOW what you are.

      4. Toffee – Does he, who told you to think that?

        There’s nothing to explain, Keir Starmer has FA to do with the running of Coventry City Council that is the responsibility of Coventry’s elected councillors.

      5. I think we are now seeing very clearly that the council have strayed into possible missuse of council tax payers money on the alter of political ideology mixed in with a personal vendetta against the union.
        misuse of taxpayers money and now we need to know how was it funded by the Labour council who claim to be underfunded whilst splashing the cash on purchasing a company…what was the relationship between the scab contractor and individuals on the council.The council now need to be looked at very closely and “forensicly” by the government.

      6. Joseph – Is the council being scrutinised for the misuse of funds and by whom, or is that something else that you’ve just made up?

      7. Steve H Hall Was the purchase price too much and what came with the purchase,assets,plant,well trained workforce,existing contracts..property.Fourteen millon seems to be a popular amount for spaffing away money with the Labour party whether it is members money from “jeremys legacy” or taxpayers money in Birmingham…very much needs to be looked at has the Labour party are not known for “fiscal responsibility” in fact better known for throwing money around on lawyers like confetti.

      8. Joseph – I don’t know, why would you expect me to. If you want to know then do some research.

        The figures prove that Labour governments have always been more ‘fiscally responsible’ than the Tories.

      9. Nobody told me to think it, soft shite.

        Here’s keef literally doing so

        https://skwawkbox.org/2022/02/16/video-starmer-sneers-at-city-of-coventry-and-at-workers-striking-to-protect-their-jobs-and-pay/

        So fucking WHAT if keef doesn’t run Coventry council? He’s supposedly the leader of the party. He’s the one broken the pledge HE made – nobody else made or broke it. I suppose keefs’ entirely free from all blame for savile**, too, eh?

        Bet he had a good old chuckle then, too.

        **Oh, Silly me…That a right-wing extremist conspiracy theory, isn’t it, gobshite? 😏

      10. Toffee – You said it yourself, silly you.
        You are probably right about the conspiracy theories though.

      11. ME?

        … A supposedly ‘self-appointed guardian of the left’ advocating a supposedly right wing extremist conspiracy theory about a supposed fellow self-confessed ‘socialist ??

        Lordy!!

      12. Toffee – If that is how you choose to self identify then who am I to disagree?

      13. Wrong again, gobshite.

        I’ve NEVER seen anybody claim the title of ‘self-appointedguardian of the left’. It’s nothing but a shit, contadictory title you bestow on everyone that owns you.

        …Which is just about everyone.

      14. That’s tue SteveH. You haven’t said anything that dscloses your personal opinion on the matter. Why? Maybe you should.

      15. qwertboi – Why?
        Why would I pretend to know more about it than I do?

      16. “Why would I pretend to know more about it than I do?”

        Opinions and knowledge are not the same thing SteveH. If we were only entitled to opinions on subjects we knew about, the human race would not be as marvelous, creative and productive as it is.

        (Happilly, what you choose to share or withhold/keep to yourself is a personal choice, but I was genuinely interested in what you thought about Coventry Council’s unussual, (illicit, maybe illegal?) action. Wasn’t a fight)

  9. It’s all perhaps about cheap Labour, this drive had been the monopoly of the Right Wing Neo-Liberal Tories but now seems to have been joined a by Right Wing Labour Council?
    Oh the cheap labour for workers ie YOU but definitely not for Right Wing Labour Councillors and MPs?
    Hope Right Wing Labour Council gets a drubbing and Right Wing Labour in the nearby Erdington by-election.
    In my area a bin strike caused by the council a number of years ago, reasserted class as an issue and the Right Wing Council were kicked out!

    1. Bazza – Or maybe it made economic sense for the council to own the waste management company that were contracted to sort and dispose of their domestic waste.and when this situation arose it just provided the council with a convenient vehicle for hiring agency workers. I don’t remember anyone making a fuss about this at the time.

      1. And WHO caused this situation to ‘arise’ scab-labour advocating, blacklegged wee gobshite, hmmm?

      2. Toffee – I don’t know who’s to blame, they are both putting out contradictory figures. Hopefully ACAS will help sort it out now that they are involved.

  10. *AS WELL AS reneging on pledges to defend them

    (NOT despite)

    Now let’s see you try to explain just HOW that ISN’T ANOTHER broken pledge…

    I dare ya….

    1. Toffee – I dare ya.

      Oh dear. Where do you think you are, back in the school playground?

      There’s nothing to explain, Keir Starmer has FA to do with the running of Coventry City Council that is the responsibility of Coventry’s elected councillors.

      1. Oh dear. Where do you think you are, back in the school playground

        At least I’m allowed close to one 🤫🤫🤫

      2. Not quite desperate enough to avoid the issue of pederast protector keef shitting on his own pledges.

        Or trying to obfuscate and deflect from any extremely thinly-veiled support for blackleg enablers and their scab labour.

        Amused yourself while watching young goats frolicking, recently 😙

        You either support those refuse workers taking action, or you endorse smarmer’s latest shithousery.

        No need to answer. The evidence is all on this thread.

  11. Paedophiles….nothing to do with Rodney whilst leader of the DPP…..now as leader of the Labour party Nothing to do with me “if a Labour council are being scrutinised for misuse of council tax payers money in the purchase of a company whilst claiming they were unable to pay the going rate for council refuse workers. The Labour party and Sir are responsible for ensuring that Labour councillors dont bring the Labour party into disrepute if that isnt a joke nowadays on everybody.including himself and the members.

    1. Joseph – Don’t be silly. What are you accusing them of doing, or are you still thinking about that?

      1. Toffee – Did Coventry City Council make some pledges too?

      2. Toffee – Did Coventry City Council make some pledges too?

        Oh, so when dick said she’d clean up the met, did that not apply to each & every single one of the institutionally corrupt bastards serving underneath it?

        Fucking moron.

  12. Just whats going on in the West midlands….Now I know that Twatson and drommy led private fiefdoms there but the Labour councillors in that area seem to be “out of control” with lunatic fringe ideology.The leader of the Labour party needs to get a grip on just whats going down there before the rest of the Labour party follow my follow my “Leader over the cliff”
    Maybe a ray of sunshine 🌞is on the horizan with Dave Nellest and TUSC.Boots on the ground and Dave can..do it and fix the “fixers” and the shadowy individuals in the Labour party and their corrupt knight of the realm.

    Stevey boy 👦youve talked yourself into a corner…..hows the second job?

      1. Pledge #7.

        Now, do tell us, in all of your sagacity has keef shat on that one (as well as the other nine), or not?

        Just answer that and don’t bother with anything else, or else will be further evidence of your gobshitery.

      2. Toffee – There’s nothing to explain, Keir Starmer has FA to do with the running of Coventry City Council that is the responsibility of Coventry’s elected councillors.

      3. Pathetic.

        You really do have delusions you are some sort of politician, don’t you? Not even keefs’ as shite as you….And he’s fucking abysmal.

        Hey kids, vote keef and you’ll get more sweets off paedophiles hanging around school gates

      4. Toffee – But you’re the one who has self evidently painted yourself into the desperate saddo’s corner.

      5. SteveH22/02/2022 AT 2:43 AM
        Toffee – But you’re the one who has self evidently painted yourself into the desperate saddo’s corner

        Says the sadsack who’d rigourously defend a policy like theconecbelow if it came from keef

        “Hey kids, vote keef and you’ll get more sweets off paedophiles hanging around school gates”

        How’s the teaching going? 🤔

      6. Am I?

        I don’t need to invent tales of how I’ve supposedly been headhunted by three local schools to teach in them.

        I don’t post on here with the express purpose of antagonising people – and then admit to finding it entertaining when they do.

        I don’t start whining about being trolled when people get angry with something I’ve said.

        I don’t perpetually defend some useless block-headed gobshite who does nothing to show he’s any different from the fat scruffy toerag. No matter that he sold you out over brexit. No matter how much he shots on the working classes.

        And I certainly don’t call people Tories for refusing to vote for the useless prick.

        And like just about everyone else on here, I cannot find a single discernible difference between the politics of two of them.

        Whereas you….REFUSE to explain a single difference. REFUSE to name a policy that keef has come out with and do fuck-all else except demonstrate your outright hypocrisy and abject shithousery – qualities you share with smarmerist labour buddies

        Sadsack.

  13. How’s that work then? I haven’t broken any pledges I’ve made.

    I haven’t made a case for scab labour by my acquiescence and outright refusal to acknowledge keefs’ broken pledges.

    I understand and am disgusted that keef the party leader is trashing his own job description (again) and is allowing his underlings within his own party to shit on those worthless pledges that he appealed to people to elect him on (now where have we seen THAT before?)

    Also a minor correction to a previous post

    Not quite desperate enough to avoid the issue of pederast protector keef shitting on his own pledges

    Replace the word protector with non-proescutor

    Right, am back away to me pit now things have settled here.

  14. There have been further developments in another employment dispute that has featured heavily on these pages.
    https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/staff-go-sick-after-refusing-23181595
    “A Unison rep told ExaminerLive that staff decided to take action on Friday after Mr Holmes was cleared to re-enter the Unison office on New North Parade, off Huddersfield town centre.
    She said: “They went off sick with work-related stress on Friday, February 18, that was the day that Holmes would come back into the branch.
    “They believe they should not be having to work with him.

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