Council cleaning staff across much of the country are on strike over pay. A strike in Edinburgh which has seen litter pile up on the streets during the city’s festival fringe – the city’s busiest time of year – is set to end on Tuesday morning. However, further action is planned in other areas of the council. Negotiations took place over the weekend between the unions and the Assembly of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), but Unite’s local government committee rejected an offer from Cosla. The offer was reported to include a non-recurring 5% payment to staff, which would range from £989 to £2,000. Cosla has not confirmed the terms of the proposed deal. Unison, Unite and GMB, the three unions whose members are on strike, are calling on Cosla, the SNP-led umbrella group of 32 Scottish councillors, to agree a flat salary of £3,000 instead of a percentage increase, which would benefit the highest paid staff. Wendy Dunsmore, Unite’s industrial officer, said the union had rejected the latest pay offer outright. “The offer remains unacceptable and represents a waste of valuable time,” he said. “We understand the gravity of the situation across the country, but equally our members are facing the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. Unite strike action remains scheduled for next week unless Cosla contacts us with a credible offer that addresses our key concerns.” Two of Scotland’s other main unions, Unison and the GMB, are also considering the new offer. Earlier in the day, Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf told PA news agency he hoped for a solution “sooner rather than later”. “Public Health Scotland has highlighted the public health impact of bin strikes,” Yousaf said. “Nobody wants to see that, especially when we’re showcasing cities like Edinburgh during the fringe festival and we’ve got tourists from all over the world.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon faced backlash after attending a series of events and public appearances while people lived through what Scottish Labour’s director of operations, Neil Bibby, described as “paved roads”. “The First Minister must fund councils properly and secure a fair deal for council workers and put an end to this mess, as well as use the powers she has to help Scots struggling with skyrocketing bills Bibi said. Sturgeon traveled to Copenhagen on Friday to officially open the Scottish Government’s Scandinavian office, and made several appearances at Edinburgh festivals.
