Scots council workers reject pay offer amid ongoing dispute, say Unite the Union

Scotland is facing the prospect of a “stinking summer” after refuse workers across the country rejected the latest pay offer tabled by councils.

Unite and GMB unions said workers had rejected the deal from Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) following a meeting in Glasgow on Monday.

Scotland’s biggest public service union Unison already rejected the new offer on Friday.

The unions said that “no extra cash” had been added by COSLA, which represents Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

The current deal amounts to a 3.2% increase for a one-year period between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.

It comes two months after union members rejected a previous offer on May 24.

Unions said if the offer is not improved, refuse workers across Scotland could walk out, leaving bins unemptied in a repeat of rubbish chaos last seen two years ago.

Unite, which has the largest union membership, has strike action mandates involving thousands of its members across 16 councils, and it is in the process of re-balloting workers in five other councils.

Unison has a strike mandate in 13 councils, and will be balloting 38,000 school, early years and family centre staff this week.

Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer, warned of a “stinking Scottish summer” is on the way unless the Scottish Government adds more cash into a new offer.

“It continues to grossly undervalue Scotland’s council workers compared with the offer made to their counterparts across the UK,” he said.

“A stinking Scottish summer looms unless COSLA and the Scottish Government quickly sort this out by injecting more cash into a new offer.”

He added: “Any offer will need to value the lowest paid council workers, at least, on similar terms as the offer made to other UK council workers.

“The Scottish Government can no longer sit idly by, we are on the brink of nationwide strike action which could last for months.”

First Minister John Swinney has insisted he is keen to see the council workers’ pay dispute resolved.

Speaking during a visit to Peterhead, he said: “I obviously want to avoid any industrial action taking place.”

He stressed, however, it was for local authorities and the trade unions to remain “engaged with dialogue” in a bid to resolve the dispute.

Swinney said: “I am keen that dialogue and discussions are able to take their course, that we can avoid industrial action and have a resolution to that matter that avoids any interruption to services.”

COSLA resources spokesperson, councillor Katie Hagmann said: “We are extremely disappointed to hear that all three unions have rejected the revised offer.

“I’ll reiterate that the revised offer we put forward last week was a strong, fair and credible pay offer, higher than the rate of inflation and worth more than the first year of the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy.

“We have been very clear in all discussions with trade unions that the offer is also at the very limit of affordability for councils given the challenging financial situation we are facing.

“While we are disappointed with this outcome, we remain committed to continuing to engage as positively as we can with our Trade Unions, as strike action is in nobody’s interests.”