Union votes to accept bin worker pay deal

GMB has called off planned industrial action after accepting the Cosla pay offer

The GMB union has called off planned strikes among waste workers after accepting a council pay offer.

The pay offer means staff would get a rise of £1,292 per year or 3.6pc – whichever is the greater.

The union was one of three to suspend strikes, alongside Unison and Unite, days before they were set to go ahead earlier this month.

The other two unions are yet to respond to the latest offer, tabled by local authority governing body Cosla.

Unison has recommended members reject it, while Unite has urged acceptance.

GMB’s senior organising officer, Keir Greenaway, confirmed its members would now not take part in any industrial action.

About 78% of those balloted voted in favour of accepting the offer.

The agreement means all front-line staff will receive a wage rise of £1,292 per annum.

The Scottish government found additional funding to pay for the offer after talks with Cosla.

First Minister John Swinney said it would that mean “tough choices” had to be made.

A freeze on non-essential spending was announced less than 24 hours after the offer was made.

Mr Greenaway said he was pleased that the threat of industrial action had been brought to an end.

But he criticised council leaders’ “stubborn refusal and lack of urgency” to ask the Scottish government for additional funding, and warned that public sector pay deals should not be blamed for spending cuts.

He said: “It should not take imminent strike action to deliver a fair offer but, while it came too late, the deal was above inflation for all staff and weighted to benefit front-line workers most.

“Ministers implying a fair pay offer for our members means cuts to spending are only diverting attention from the real cause of the crisis in our public services.

“Government is about choices but, when our public services are struggling to recruit and retain skilled staff, paying council staff fairly is not part of the problem but part of the solution.”

Staff in 26 of Scotland’s 32 council areas had planned to walk out between 14 and 22 August after rejecting two previous Cosla deals.

They had been offered a 3.2% rise, backdated to April.

They warned there would be a repeat of scenes from the summer of 2022, when rubbish piled up on the streets in cities including Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “I am delighted GMB Scotland members have voted in favour of this fair, above inflation pay deal which allows this hugely valued workforce to continue serving communities.

"I hope Unison and Unite members also recognise the fairness and strength of the offer, and will vote to accept it too."