Planned strike action by workers to increase to 20 councils across Scotland

Unite the union said that despite ‘constructive’ talks with Deputy First Minister John Swinney on Wednesday, there was no breakthrough.

Bins have been overflowing for days in Edinburgh due to strike action from waste service workers (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Notice of strike action in education and waste services across 20 councils in Scotland has been served by Unite.

The union confirmed on Thursday that despite “constructive” talks with the Deputy First Minister on Wednesday, there was no breakthrough and there remains no new offer on the table.

Members in waste services currently taking strike action in 14 councils will take another eight days of action from September 6 to 13, while a further five local authorities: Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Fife and North Ayrshire – will join the second phase of strike action.

The union’s members in schools and early years services across seven councils: Angus, Dundee, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, and South Lanarkshire – are also scheduled to take strike action on September 6 to 9.

I can't negotiate this agreement, I am not the employer, I have no legal standing to negotiate

John Swinney, Deputy First Minister

Members employed by Tayside Contracts to provide catering and janitorial services in schools across Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross councils will also strike, taking the total of local authorities affected by strike action to 20.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “We now plan to spread this action across 20 councils in education and waste services.

“For five months, Cosla and the Scottish Government have dithered and bickered with each other while our members have increasingly faced a cost-of-living crisis. We will fully support them in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”

It came after the Deputy First Minister insisted he has “no legal standing” to negotiate a deal to end strike action that has left rubbish piled up on the streets of Edinburgh – despite unions pleading for ministers to take part in talks.

John Swinney met union leaders on Wednesday evening after action by council cleansing staff spread from Edinburgh to other parts of the country.

He said afterwards that while he is “determined to be helpful”, a deal to end the pay row has to be reached by unions and employers at local government body Cosla.

Unions already warned their action would escalate if an agreement cannot be reached to increase workers’ wages.

Wendy Dunsmore, of the Unite union, said: “It’s going to escalate, it will escalate throughout the winter and we are urging the Scottish Government to get quickly round the table with us and Cosla to explore and thrash out a deal for our workers.”

Unions argue the Scottish Government, which provides the bulk of funding for councils, must become directly involved.

But Mr Swinney said there needs to be “intense dialogue and negotiation” between Cosla and the unions to resolve the dispute.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “What I have encouraged Cosla to do is to enter into intense negotiations with the trade unions, the trade unions want those intense negotiations to help to resolve matters.

“I will be as helpful as I possibly can be to try to bring agreement together.”

He said he is “determined to be helpful” but also insisted: “I can’t negotiate this agreement, I am not the employer, I have no legal standing to negotiate.”

Ms Dunsmore said Wednesday’s discussions with Mr Swinney had looked at how councils could use existing funding previously earmarked for other areas “to make sure that workers get a fair and decent pay offer”.

She said this “hopefully will mean a bigger pay rise”.

Unions have already rejected a 5% wage increase – funded in part with £140 million of Scottish Government cash – claiming this is insufficient in the face of rampant inflation and soaring bills.