A NEW offer made to end Scotland's councils dispute that has seen bins overflowing in streets in Edinburgh and Glasgow has been rejected by union leaders.

Unions say a new offer of a 5% increase with a varying one-off payment - for the lower paid it is estimated to be around £989 - has been recommended for rejection by all three unions,  Unite, GMB Scotland and UNISON Scotland

UNISON Scotland and GMB Scotland are considering putting the deal to their members including their recommendations.  Unite's local government committee have decided to reject it outright.

It means the strike which also threatens to close schools from next month remains on.

Unite said the new offer tabled by was a "waste of precious time" because the structure of the proposal continues to disproportionately hit the lowest paid.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said they would "respect" democratic trade union processes while saying that it involved the Scottish Government providing a further £200 million over two years – in addition to the £140 million of additional funding already announced – to provide a cost of living payment to local authority workers earning below around £39,000.

A meeting was held between the local government body COSLA and council leaders from three unions in dispute over the weekend to discuss the terms of a fresh offer.

Some 25 of Scotland's 32 local authorities have been hit by the waste disposal strike, with various actions due to end over the next three days and resumed next week.

One three-day wave of action by UNISON Scotland and GMB Scotland ended on Monday.

Unite's ‘first wave’ of strike action in Edinburgh is due to end on Tuesday

A further wave of action from Unite waste staff is due to end on Wednesday.

But a further tranche of waste disposal action is scheduled by all the unions starting on September 6 and 7. Unite are planning an eight-day action, while GMB Scotland and UNISON Scotland's stoppage is scheduled for four days.

Public Health Scotland has warned of a human health risk from overflowing waste, and advised councils to decontaminate areas where bins have overflowed.

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Hundreds of schools and nurseries are set to be closed when as part of the dispute, some 13 councils will be hit by an schools and early learning staff stoppage on September 6, 7 and 8.

Thousands of staff from all three unions that are in dispute will be taking part in the stoppage in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire.

At least one union will be orchestrating strikes by education workers in nine other council areas - Orkney Islands, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Clackmannanshire, Stirling and Inverclyde.

Unite staff employed by Tayside Contracts who provide catering and janitorial services to schools across Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross councils will also strike.

Talks between unions and COSLA broke down on Tuesday last week over a 5% 'undifferentiated' pay offer.

Unite reported that more than half of Scotland’s 250,000 council workers are earning less than £25,000 a year for a 37-hour week.

It estimates that the offer in total represents for around 85 per cent of the workforce between £1,925 and £2,000. 

Unions had wanted agreement similar to one made to council workers in England, which included a £1,925 flat rate pay increase.

Ministers  say the latest offer would see all local government workers receive at least £1,925. They say someone earning £20,000 would receive £2,000 more – the cash equivalent of 10% - and everyone below around £39,000 would receive a cash increase of the equivalent of more than 5%. Only those earning more than £39,000 would just receive 5%.

There was a concern that a percentage pay rise would mean the most money would go to the best paid staff.

But UNISON Scotland says 5% is simply not enough - and there are concerns that the minimum pay rise deal was a one year only offer.

Unite also oppose the lack of consolidation saying it fails to recognise that the cost of living is projected to increase for all workers.

One UNISON source said: "There is just not enough money on the table considering the rate of inflation."

Investment bank Citi have predicted energy prices could push UK inflation as high as 18% next year, the highest rate in nearly 50 years.

Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - hit 10.1% in July, five times the Bank of England's (BoE) target.

Unite industrial officer Wendy Dunsmore, said: “Unite has rejected outright the latest pay offer from COSLA. The structure of the offer continues to disproportionately and unfairly effect the lowest paid with the majority of those being women. In real terms it leaves the lowest paid workers no better-off and a significant proportion of the offer does not enhance overtime, allowances or pensions.”

“The offer remains unacceptable and it represents a waste of precious time. 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’s strike action remains scheduled for next week unless COSLA gets back to us with a credible offer which addresses our primary concerns.”  

Keir Greenaway , GMB Scotland senior organiser for public services said: “A flat rate award is a key demand from unions to ensure more consolidated money goes into the pockets of frontline workers and not the highest paid in our councils. COSLA knew this but instead tabled this offer as an across-the-board percentage rise that only feathers the nests of service directors.

“This was unacceptable to our local government committee members. It’s not credible that in the grip of the biggest cost-of-living crisis in forty years, and with inflation and energy bills soaring, a head of service gets four times the consolidated increase than a bin collector, cleaner or carer.

“That’s why we have written to COSLA again this evening urging them to return to talks as soon as possible and to negotiate a new offer based on a flat rate increase. If they don’t do this, then when our committee reconvenes [on Tuesday], we will outline our plans to fully consult GMB members.”

The new pay offers have come after the Scottish Government gave an additional £140m to councils to help fund a pay increase for staff and urged both sides to seek a "fair resolution" to the dispute.

But unions said last week they needed deputy first minister John Swinney to open the purse strings again to end the pay dispute.

The first bin strike began in the capital city on August 18 in the midst of festival season, after the unions - the GMB, Unite and Unison - rejected an initial pay offer equivalent to a 3.5% increase.

Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government, Miles Briggs said: “These talks have been going on for the past five days without reaching a resolution – yet still the SNP are nowhere to be seen.

“It is Nicola Sturgeon’s savage cuts to local council budgets that have created this mess – but instead of working to get a grip of the strikes, she’s taking to the stage for yet another speaking event this evening.

“While Nicola Sturgeon rubs shoulders with nationalist celebrities, strikes are spreading across the country and rubbish is overflowing on our streets.

“The First Minister should skip the photo-ops and finally take responsibility for this SNP-created crisis.”

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Intensive discussions between the trades unions and COSLA over recent days has led to a revised pay offer being made.

“No deal is perfect and I wish we could go further but this deal does offer significant increases for those on low pay. We must now respect the democratic trade union processes underway while we hope that members decide to accept the offer.”

Local government minister Ben Macpherson urged both sides to continue to seek a fair resolution to the dispute.

“We know that after constructive discussions over recent days, we are aware that COSLA, the body on behalf of local government leaders, held a meeting with local government leaders to discuss a potential proposition,” he said.

“But as I’m sure you will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment further beyond continuing to encourage both sides to continue to seek that fair resolution and that sustainable resolution to the dispute that we all want to see as soon as possible.”

He said the Scottish Government is engaged with local government leaders.

“The unions and COSLA are of course the negotiating parties in this scenario,” he said.

“The Scottish Government can’t make the unions an offer because we’re not the employer in this situation, but of course we’re engaged with local government leaders and we want to see a resolution to this just like everyone else.

“It really wouldn’t be appropriate for me to discuss a negotiation that is ongoing, but like everyone else, we want to see a fair resolution as soon as possible.”

City of Edinburgh Council said additional resources would be deployed to support the clean up on Tuesday, when the strike ends in the captial.

Council leader Cammy Day said: "This dispute has brought the value of our waste and cleansing teams - and their right to fair wage - into sharp focus and I'm delighted they'll be back out from Tuesday, helping to return our city to its best.

"While they'll be working hard to catch up on collections and making every effort to collect litter across the city, it'll take time for things to return to normal.

"Please bear with them as they do so and, if you can store your extra waste safely for a little longer or are able to book an appointment at a recycling centre, please do so."

Ministers say the Scottish Fiscal Commission has highlighted that the overall 2022-23 Scottish budget is 2.6% lower than last year in cash terms and 5.2% lower after accounting for inflation, primarily because of reduced COVID-19 funding and falling capital funding from the UK Government.

Waste and recycling services strike

Unite

August 18-30:  City of Edinburgh

August 24 to 31 (8 days action) - Aberdeen City, Angus, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian. September 6 to 13 September (8 days action) – Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian.

UNISON

August 26 to 29 and September 7 to 10 - Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire.

GMB Scotland

August 26 to 29 and September 7 to 10 - Aberdeen City, Angus, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverclyde,Highland, Midlothian, Orkney, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Perth and Kinross, North Lanarkshire.