Waste service workers will today go on strike across 14 local authority areas in Scotland after Unite the union rejected a 5% pay offer.
Unite has confirmed that its local government committee has rejected outright the 5% COSLA pay offer. The offer was made after the original 2% increase was rejected.
According to the union, for more than half of local government workers, COSLA’s offer represents an offer of between £900-£1,250. In comparison, council workers in England have had a flat rate pay offer of £1,925.
The strike action will start in Edinburgh and will then move to Aberdeen City, Angus, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, and West Lothian.
Unite industrial officer Wendy Dunsmore said: ‘Unite has rejected outright the 5 per cent pay offer and strike action across 14 councils will go ahead. It’s a sad indictment that council workers in Scotland are being offered substantially less than their counterparts in England.
‘The cold hard reality is that inflation and energy costs are soaring – and they are predicted to rise even higher. The 5% today will not be worth the same in a matter of months when the cost of living crisis will bite even harder. The offer on the table just doesn’t help the lowest paid make ends meet.’
She add: ‘This dispute will continue to escalate to a point where it could now go beyond the winter causing months of massive nationwide disruption. The blame for this will lie squarely at the doors of COSLA and the Scottish Government.’
