Two trade unions in Scotland have rejected a renewed pay offer from councils that would have ended planned bin strikes across the country.
Unison has recommend to members that they reject the latest pay deal after five days of talks with Cosla, the body for Scottish local authorities. While, Unite has rejected the new offer.
Rejection of the pay offer, thought to be in the region of £1925, means that a rolling series of looming bin strikes across 20 council areas will go ahead. The first action, a 12-day rubbish collection strike in Edinburgh is due to come to an end tomorrow morning.
Staff in other local authorities across Scotland took action over the weekend with a further stretch planned for next week. It means hundreds of schools and nurseries could close from September 6 to 8 due to the strike action planned.
In a letter Johanna Baxter, head of local government at Unison, and Mark Ferguson, chair of Unison's local government committee, told Cosla it would recommend its members reject the offer on the table.
The pair wrote: "I write to let you know that this offer was considered by our Local Government Committee this morningand they have agreed: That we will consult our 80,000 local government members on your revised offer.
"That consultation will be with a Committee recommendation that members reject the offer. That whilst the consultation will be conducted as quickly as possible it will take place alongside the current and planned industrial action that has already been notified to the local authorities in which we have legal mandates."
Despite the first round of strike action coming to an end in Edinburgh this week, many residents will not have their full backlog of waste collected before the next round of industrial action begins.
For households which have kerbside pickups in Scotland's capital, landfill waste and dry recycling waste are collected on alternating weeks.
With the next strike due to begin on September 6, the city council confirmed only one type of rubbish would be picked up per household. Around 140,000 households in the city receive kerbside recycling.
Unite industrial officer Wendy Dunsmore, said: "Unite has rejected outright the latest pay offer from COSLA. The structure of the offer continues to disproportionately and unfairly effect the lowest paid with the majority of those being women.
"In real terms it leaves the lowest paid workers no better-off and a significant proportion of the offer does not enhance overtime, allowances or pensions.
"The offer remains unacceptable and it represents a waste of precious time. We understand the gravity of the situation across the country but equally our members are facing the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.
"Unite’s strike action remains scheduled for next week unless COSLA gets back to us with a credible offer which addresses our primary concerns."
When will strikes take place and which unions are taking industrial action?
Unite
Unite members from Aberdeen City, Angus, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian councils will all go on strike from August 24 to 31.
All 13 will join their colleagues in Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh Fife and North Ayrshire from September 8 to 13
. Unison
Unison members from Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire will walk out on August 26 to 29 then from September 7 to 10.
GMB
GMB members from Aberdeen, Angus, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Highland, Midlothian, Orkney, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Perth and Kinross, and North Lanarkshire will hit the picket line from August 26 to 29 then again from September 7 to 10.
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