ANAS Sarwar has been accused of hypocrisy by the SNP for failing to criticise a Labour-run council over strikes by refuse collectors in Edinburgh.

Last October, the Scottish Labour leader went on a walkabout with cleansing workers in Glasgow when they threatened industrial action ahead of the COP26 conference.

The Glasgow MSP was outspoken in criticism of the SNP-led council, tweeting: “Anyone angry about the strike in Glasgow should be ­directing it at an arrogant and out-of-touch council leadership and the Scottish Government, not the workers.

“We applauded these workers and called them heroes through the ­pandemic. They are fighting for fairer pay and better services.”

However, last week, as hundreds of refuse workers staged a strike in ­Edinburgh during the busy ­festival season, Sarwar failed to ­comment in-depth on the refuse strikes or ­criticise the Labour-led council.

That is despite mentioning he had met with some Unite workers ahead of the strike in Edinburgh in an ­interview last week, in which he made a call for frontbenchers and MSPs to defy UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and join striking ­workers on picket lines.

The SNP also attacked Labour for siding with the Tories on a vote to ­offer an improved pay offer to local government workers.

On Friday, Cosla agreed to boost the original 3.5% pay offer to 5% at a special meeting of council leaders.

The vote for the 5% offer was tied at 16-16, with the SNP and ­independents for the motion and Labour and the Conservatives against, resulting in the casting vote by Cosla’s SNP ­president carrying the amendment over the line.

A spokesperson for the SNP said: “Anas Sarwar has never been slow previously to pitch up for a picture beside an overflowing bin. During COP26 he did a veritable grand tour of Glasgow, hunting out photo ops ­beside piles of fly-tipped rubbish.

“It’s not as if he has not been to ­Edinburgh recently after appearing at Festival Fringe events.

“Could it be because Labour runs Edinburgh City Council and his ­party is responsible if the capital’s streets are strewn with litter?

“Or perhaps he knows he is no ­longer the binmen’s best friend ­after his Labour colleagues on Cosla blocked a 5% pay rise for council workers by siding with the Tories and offering just 3.5%.”

The spokesperson added: “Hard-working council workers across ­Scotland are not fooled by hypocrite Sarwar, who claims to be on the side of workers while he does council deals with the toxic Tories.

“It’s really no surprise Scottish ­Labour’s electoral performances have been a raging skip fire for years.”

The Sunday National contacted Scottish Labour to check if Sarwar had made any comment – or had any comment to make – on the ­Edinburgh strikes, but did not receive a response.