Waste and recycling workers are going on strikes across Forth Valley over pay disputes. This includes Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannashire.
The action will run from Friday 26th to Monday August 29th and again from Wednesday September 7th to Monday September 10th.
Members of Unite unions, UNISON and GMB have backed industrial action. GMB Scotland stating that these strikes are a direct response to “political failure”.
This comes after the unions rejected a 2% pay offer from the government.
“Unless Cosla and the Scottish Government make a significantly improved pay offer, more strikes will start across councils in just a few weeks.
Kier Greenaway, GMB Scotland
Unions are saying that the 2% pay rise amounts to the lowest offer in the public sector. There are concerns from the unions that this offer fails to keep up with inflation.
Last week Deputy First Minister John Swinney had said that the Scottish Government was contributing a “further £140 million of recurring funding to support COSLA to make a revised pay offer to the local government workforce”
Unison hit back stating that this money was half of what was asked for from the Scottish Government and is not close to the pay offer provided to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This wave of strikes follows the announcement that waste and recycling workers will strike during the Edinburgh Fringe.
21 councils are being affected by the strikes from GMB and Unison members. Alongside this Unite waste workers will strike in 15 of the councils between August 24th and August 31st
There is a possibility of further strikes also,
“This is the first wave of strike action which will only escalate if a significantly improved pay offer is not forthcoming.
Strike dates for schools and early years workers will be confirmed in the coming days.”
Johanna Baxter, Unison Scotland
Brig has reported on other strikes that are also affecting Stirling such as the rail strikes on 18th and 20th August.
Featured Image – Anthony Devlin
Film, Media and Journalism student who writes about things that catch her interest. Instagram @charlsutcliffe
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