Strike wave faces Scotland council waste services | MRW

It said the exact details of action in the pay dispute would be announced and could start in just over two weeks’ time.

All three major local government trade unions have rejected the offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) of a 2.2% pay increase for the first six months and an additional 2% for the subsequent 12 months to September 2025. Cosla has been contacted for comment.

The councils due to be affected by Unite’s action are: Aberdeen, Angus, Edinburgh, Dumfries & Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire and West Lothian.

Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer 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.”

Several of these councils are also among those where the GMB union is balloting waste services workers for industrial action in the same pay dispute.

These are: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Fife, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, South Lanarkshire and Stirling.

GMB Scotland senior organiser for public services, Keir Greenaway said: “We hear time and time again that Scotland does public services better, but that’s not the case when the Conservatives down south have already beaten Cosla’s offer.”

Trade union Unison is to ballot council waste, recycling and street cleaning workers across Scotland for strike action after a consultation earlier this month saw 91% of members reject the pay proposal. It said walk-outs could begin in August.

Meanwhile the pay offer made for council staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is subject to a consultative ballot of members by Unite, which has recommended rejection.

The offer is a £1,290 flat rate, plus 2.5% on allowances, while unions asked for a rise of £3,000 or 10%, whichever is great.

Unison said it was reviewing the results of a consultative ballot while the GMB ballot closes on Friday.