John Swinney is set to meet union and Cosla bosses later today in a bid to end bin strikes across Scotland, the Daily Record understands.
The Deputy First Minister and acting Finance Secretary is thought to have asked both sides to St Andrews House, in Edinburgh for talks at around 2.30pm.
It comes after the SNP minister met with unions and Cosla on Wednesday where they held "constructive talks", however failed to halt industrial action in 14 council areas across the country.
Both sides have failed to reach a deal on pay which led to waste workers in 13 local authorities, including Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee, walking out for a seven-day strike on Wednesday.
Cleansing staff in Edinburgh have been out on strike since August 18, with the action timed to coincide with the summer festivals.
Festival goers have been met by mountains of rubbish with Swinney saying it was "deeply concerning" for public health.
Wendy Dunsmore, Unite industrial officer, said the talks with Swinney and Cosla representatives on Wednesday were "constructive", while the SNP MSP said "intense dialogue" needs to take place between both sides.
Speaking after the meeting last night, Dunsmore added: "Constructive talks have now finished involving the trade unions and the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney.
"The trade unions were informed that the DFM would now engage Cosla on a mechanism which could facilitate funding but that this would not come directly from the Scottish Government.
"It would include examining fiscal flexibilities and areas of ring-fenced funding. We acknowledge that this is movement but there is no new offer on the table and the strikes continue.
"The trade unions are requesting that the Scottish Government directly engage in these negotiations involving Cosla and ourselves in an effort to resolve this dispute."
While, Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "What I have encouraged Cosla to do is to enter into intense negotiations with the trade unions, the trade unions want those intense negotiations to help to resolve matters.
"I will be as helpful as I possibly can be to try to bring agreement together."
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