Council waste workers set for eight-day strike in August, union confirms

The walk out means bins won't be emptied "from the smallest villages to the biggest cities"

Author: PA ScotlandPublished 31st Jul 2024
Last updated 13th Sep 2024

Council waste workers in Scotland are to walk out on strike next month, with union leaders warning the action will be "disruptive".

Leaders of the GMB confirmed its members will take action over eight days in August, with staff at Edinburgh City Council walking out during the capital's busy summer festival period.

Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, will also be affected by the action, which is due to start at 5am on Wednesday August 14 and last until 4.59am on Thursday August 22.

GMB members in 18 of Scotland's 32 local authority areas will strike, and the union said the action will mean bins are not emptied "from the smallest villages to the biggest cities".

It comes amid a dispute over council workers' pay, with the three unions involved - Unison, Unite and the GMB - having all rejected a 3.2% pay rise offered by local government body Cosla.

While talks between the unions, Cosla leaders and Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison took place on Tuesday, a deal to end the dispute has not yet been reached.

Union chiefs have already warned of the prospect of a "stinking summer" as rubbish builds up uncollected, and the GMB has now confirmed the strike dates for its members, which it said will go ahead unless councils and ministers "urgently identify the money needed to make a fair and acceptable offer".

A similar dispute, which saw rubbish pile up on the streets of Edinburgh during the festival season in 2022, only ended when the Scottish Government provided extra funds to councils for workers' pay.

Rubbish bins overflowing in the Grassmarket due to industrial action by Edinburgh council workers.

An overflowing bin can be seen outside the Waverley Market next to the station.

Rubbish pilling up in residential streets in Gorgie.

Tourists walk past overflowing bins, at the height of festival season in the Capital.

The sixth day of the Waste Service Strike has led to central Edinburgh becoming an unsanitary mess.

Rubbish bins overflowing outside Edinburgh Waverley.

Rubbish pilling up in residential streets in Gorgie.

Bins overflowing with rubbish are being taped up as they begin to overflow with waste, at the height of festival season.

Cosla said on Wednesday council leaders only have "very limited options" available to resolve the dispute, although resources spokeswoman Katie Hagmann insisted they will "explore all options to avoid industrial action".

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser, said the 3.2% offer failed to keep pace with the cost of living and was below the rise offered to council workers in England.

While he said talks with Cosla and the Government had been "constructive", he added: "Our members are less interested in constructive talks than fair pay.

"The process has gone on too long with too little progress. There is no more time to waste talking about old offers with new wrapping. Enough is enough.

"Industrial action will start in two weeks unless ministers and local authorities urgently identify the money needed to make a fair and acceptable offer.

"These strikes will be disruptive to all the Scots who rely on our members' work, but would not be necessary if councils had shown a greater urgency and sense of realism."

Ms Hagmann said the talks on Tuesday had given Cosla the chance to "articulate the financial challenges facing local government in relation to meeting pay claims".

She added: "It was an open and honest dialogue about how challenging the situation is in relation to council finances.

"Whilst no immediate solution was identified, officers will now undertake further work at pace in the coming days to explore all options to avoid industrial action."

She stressed to the Finance Secretary "the very limited options available to local government, and that any solution needs to be both affordable and sustainable".

Ms Hagmann continued: "Cosla remains committed to continuing our negotiations towards finding a solution as quickly as possible, seeking to do all we can to avoid industrial action and its damaging impact on our communities.

"Council leaders value the local government workforce and their essential work across our communities, they recognise the workforce pressures and the need to reward equitably."

A spokesperson for Cosla said: "We are disappointed to hear that Unions have announced strike dates in some areas so soon after a constructive joint meeting with Scottish Government took place yesterday, and while negotiations are still ongoing.

"Our Trade Union partners are aware that considerable work is being done at pace to explore all options.

"We continue to re-iterate that with no new funding in place, the 3.2% offer is the limit of affordability for councils in the current challenging financial circumstances.

"We value our workforce and are working to find a resolution as quickly as possible.”

Finance and Local Government Secretary Shona Robison said: “While this move to plan strike action is within unions’ rights and is not entirely unexpected, it is nonetheless disappointing, given the constructive and positive dialogue with national representatives of all the local government unions and COSLA representatives yesterday.

"I facilitated that dialogue because of the importance of supporting efforts to reach a fair pay deal.

"I recognise that the trade unions share that aim and I welcome their willingness to engage constructively with the process to achieve that.”

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.