UNIONS have called off looming strikes which would have seen uncollected rubbish pile high in streets across Scotland.
Unite and GMB have confirmed they will suspend planned bin strikes across Scotland – which would have hit during the Edinburgh Festival – to allow members to vote on a new pay offer.
Council bosses on Friday said they had made a “significantly improved” pay offer to unions and the matter was considered by union officials on Monday.
A decision from the third union to threaten strikes, Unison, is expected later today.
The Scottish Government has offered £77.5 million to improve on a previously rejected pay offer from Cosla, which would have increased wages by 3.2%.
READ MORE: Council leaders make improved offer to unions in bid to avert bin strikes
The new offer would see all workers receive at least a 3.6% increase, with a 5.63% increase for the lowest paid. The overall offer value is 4.27%, according to Cosla, the body which represents local authorities in Scotland.
Unite workers were due to take eight days of strike action across 18 council areas in Scotland, which have now been called off. Members will be balloted between August 15 and September 5.
According to the unions, the new offer represents a minimum cash increase of £1,292 for the lowest paid council workers, which is equivalent to 5.2% for those earning around £25,000. The Scottish local government living wage will also increase by 5.63%.
Graham McNab, Unite’s lead negotiator for local government said: “Unite members across all of Scotland’s councils should be applauded for standing firm. They have remained resolute in an effort to secure a fairer and better pay offer."
“We believe that the new pay offer is credible. For the first time in years, it will mean all council workers receiving an above inflation increase."
READ MORE: Scottish Government finds ‘additional funding’ it says could avert bin strikes
“Unite will now suspend the eight days of strike action so a ballot can take place on the new offer.”
Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, said: “This offer is a significant improvement on what came before but our members will decide if it is acceptable.
“It is better than that offered to council staff in England and Wales, would mean every worker receives a rise higher than the Retail Price Index [measure of inflation] and, importantly, is weighted to ensure frontline workers gain most.
“As a gesture of goodwill, we will suspend action until our members can vote on the offer.
“It should never have got to this stage, however, and Scotland’s council leaders have again shown an absolute lack of urgency or sense of realism."
Speaking to reporters in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, John Swinney welcomed the announcement the strikes had been called off but warned that other budgets would need to be cut to pay for the increases.
The First Minister said: “We do not have any spare money sitting about. We will have to make reductions in other programmes to enable this offer to be made because things are so tight and so tough within the public finances.”
He added: “We will set out to Parliament in due course the changes we are making to the budget to allow that to be the case.
“We’ve identified some sources of the money but we’ve also got to find other resources to afford this particular offer. We do that because we want to protect communities but it will come with implications for the provision of Scottish Government programmes and services.”
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