Yahoo News Scots face bin chaos as thousands of refuse workers threaten strike amid pay dispute
Scots are facing cleansing chaos this summer as thousands of refuse staff across 16 council areas have voted in favour of strike action amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Unite, who represents the waste workers, street cleaners, and recycling centre operators has today (July 2) announced that their members have backed industrial action. It comes amid a pay dispute with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) after the trade unions rejected a pay deal in May.
The local authority body had offered a 2.2 per cent wage increase effective from 1 April to 30 September, and then two per cent for a 12-month period effective from October 1, this year, to September 2025. Union bosses now say they are weeks away from striking, accusing COSLA of not undertaking meaningful pay talks.
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Union bosses have warned that strikes could begin in just over two weeks’ time, with details of planned strikes to be released in the coming days. They are expected to affect Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Fife, Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, Dumfries & Galloway, Highlands and West Lothian.
They have previously warned major events could potentially be impacted by strike action including the Edinburgh international and fringe festivals similar to the local government pay dispute two years ago.
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.”
GMB Scotland said it had also received mandates for strike action from waste services workers in Aberdeen, Fife, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, and Stirling.
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A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Local government pay negotiations are a matter for local authorities as employers and unions – the Scottish Government has no formal role. The Scottish Government urges all parties involved to work together constructively and reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers.”
A COSLA spokesperson said: “Cosla has made a strong offer at the limits of affordability for councils, a position reiterated by council leaders at their meeting last Friday.
“In the context of lowering inflation and a “flat cash” budget settlement from Scottish Government, it remains important to reward our valued workforce appropriately. We urge our unions to reconsider their decision to reject the offer.
“We are disappointed that industrial action is now being planned by some of our trade unions in some council areas and concerned that it is to be targeted at waste services, once again raising potential public health risks.
“We respect our unions’ role in seeking to obtain the best pay settlement they can for their members. We reiterate that we remain committed to doing the best by our workforce who deliver essential local services in every community across Scotland.”
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