UNITE has confirmed it now has a mandate for its members taking strike action in cleansing and waste services across half of Scotland’s councils in a dispute over pay.
The union said it would reveal further details of strike action in the coming days across the 16 councils although said it could begin in just over two weeks’ time.
It previously warned major events could potentially be impacted by strike action including the Fringe, similar to the local government pay dispute two years ago.
Unite said it had received a mandate in the following councils:
- Aberdeen City
- Angus
- City of Edinburgh
- Dumfries & Galloway
- Dundee City
- East Ayrshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Fife
- Glasgow City
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- Highland
- West Lothian
Unite’s 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 equivocal support in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions across Scottish local government.”
In May, Unite confirmed its local government representatives had rejected a formal pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla).
The union says the offer comprises 2.2% effective from April 1 to September 30 and then 2% for a 12-month period effective from October 1 2024 to 30 September 2025.
Unite rejected the offer and the proposal to change the pay anniversary date from April to October on the basis that it is nothing but an attempt to “kick the can down the road”.
The union’s industrial officer Graham McNab said: “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 spokesperson for Cosla 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 the 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.”
