City council strike vote could lead to mountains of garbage on the streets, union says

Municipal garbage collection and street cleaning workers have called for a strike in a dispute over pay that could lead to “garbage piling up on the streets,” union leaders said.

Representatives of the Unison union said garbage, recycling and street cleaning workers in 14 local authorities across the country had voted in favor of industrial action.

At this point, a conflict has broken out with the local government association Cosla over wages, and other unions also have strike mandates.

Cosla management stressed that the salary increase they proposed for workers was a “strong offer” that was “at the limit of what local authorities could afford”.

She had proposed an 18-month contract that would give council staff a 2.2 percent pay rise from April this year and a further two percent increase in October.

But in the vote, which followed similar votes by members of the GMB and Unite unions, Unison called on Cosla to return to the negotiating table.

David O’Connor, head of local government at Unison Scotland, said: “Council employees deserve a pay that reflects their vital role.”

“Over 95% of voters said they were prepared to take industrial action. That shows how they feel – not just about the pay on offer, but also how undervalued they feel in general.”

With union elections in schools next week, Mr O’Connor added: “If they vote to strike, schools will be closed in September too.”

“Cosla and the Scottish Government need to understand the anger of local government officials. They feel let down. The only way to get the Government to listen is to threaten a strike.”

Colette Hunter, chair of Unison Scotland’s local government committee, said: “This is a significant vote. In much of Scotland, bins will not be emptied for weeks and rubbish will be piling up on the streets.”

“Council staff are angry at the way they have been treated over the last decade.”

She continued: “Nobody wants to go on strike, it is always a last resort. But the local government employees have firmly rejected Cosla’s offer.”

“They are simply demanding a collective agreement that takes into account salaries below the inflation rate. These have reduced the value of employees’ salaries by a quarter over the last 14 years. Cosla must come back to the negotiating table with us.”

Unison said the result of its vote gave it a mandate for strike action in the following local authorities: Clackmannanshire Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, East Ayrshire Council, East Lothian Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Fife Council, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council, Midlothian Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Perth & Kinross Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Stirling Council and West Lothian Council.

Earlier this month, Unite union leaders announced that their members in 16 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities had backed strike action in cleaning and waste management firms over a pay dispute – and the GMB confirmed that its members in 13 local authorities had voted for action.

Cosla, which represents all 32 Scottish councils, was contacted for comment.