Bin chaos looming as Renfrewshire bin workers set to go on strike

Rubbish could once again be left to pile high on the streets of Renfrewshire as trade unions promise a summer of discontent on the same day the country goes to the polls.

Unite the union says waste workers, street cleaners, and recycling centre operators will abandon their roles within weeks as part of the ongoing dispute over public sector pay.

Chiefs say the strike could commence in two weeks’ time when bins will be left unemptied and the gates of recycling centres left shut.

Second union Unison has also opened a ballot with its waste workers, vowing to extend the action to support staff in Renfrewshire schools should an improved pay offer not be tabled urgently.

Public sector unions, including the GMB, recently rejected a 2.2 per cent uplift in wages effective from April 1,2023 to September 30 when a further two per cent increase would be implemented over a 12-month period.

Unions have however branded the offer “pitiful” and have rejected it outright.

A total of 16 councils are involved in the Unite strike, including neighbouring local authorities East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “After years of cuts to council pay and services, years of chronic underfunding and understaffing, our membership is saying no more. Enough.

“They have Unite’s unequivocal support in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions across Scottish local government.”

Waste workers would be striking on behalf of all local government workers, with any increase in pay applicable to all staff working in local authorities across Scotland, with the exception of teachers.

Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer added: “Thousands of workers in cleansing and waste services are now on the brink of taking strike action in a matter of weeks. Our members are being left with no choice but to fight for fair pay.

“Council workers deserve to be treated with respect but instead they received a pitiful pay offer which was rejected outright by Unite. This situation is entirely in the hands of COSLA and the Scottish government who can resolve this dispute at any moment by making a significantly improved pay offer.”

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the proposed action and continue to engage with the trade union in respect of this dispute.”

A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council said: “We have been notified by our trade union partners of their intention to strike and we are drawing up plans to deal with any impact this will cause.”

Meanwhile, the Unison ballot will run until July 17.

But the union has already warned that should its recommendation to strike win the backing of members, they too could be on the picket line come August.

Unison Scotland lead for local government David O’Connor added: “Cosla’s proposal falls short of Unison’s pay claim.

“It’s also less than the offer made to the lowest-paid local government staff south of the border.

“It does nothing to address the impact of below-inflation pay settlements that have reduced the value of staff wages by a quarter over the past 14 years. Scotland’s council workers deserve much better.”

A Cosla spokesperson said it had made a strong offer which was at the limits of affordability for councils.

“We are disappointed that industrial action is being contemplated by our unions and concerned that it appears to be targeted at waste services, once again raising potential public health risks,” they said.

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