Fife bin strike: union halts walk-out after new pay offer put on table
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Strike action was scheduled to begin at 5:00am on Wednesday (August 14), hitting bin collections, street cleaning and recycling centres - and continue for nine days until Thursday 22nd.
On Monday, trade unions Unite ansd GMB said the industrial action was being suspended while it consulted its members on a new offer from COSLA. The ballot will open on August 15, and close on September 5. GMB and Unison are expected to follow suit.
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Hide AdThe new offer represents a minimum cash increase of £1,292 for the lowest paid council workers. That equates to 5.2 per cent rise for those earning around £25,000. The Scottish local government living wage will also increase by 5.63 per cent.


But having found the extra cash at the 112th hour, First Minister John Swinney warned there would be painful decisions to be made down the line as other departments and projects may suffer.
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."
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 and, importantly, is weighted to ensure frontline workers gain most.
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Hide Ad“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.”


A minimum increase of 67 pence an hour or 3.6 per cent, whichever is better, will be applied to council workers if the offer is accepted. This amounts to an average 4.24 per cent increase for a one year period between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
Fife Council had warned householders that any strike would “significantly impact” waste collections and street cleaning, with the majority of domestic bin collections suspended. Recycling centres may also have closed and litter bins and dog waste bins left unemptied. There were also no guarantees bulky uplift service for pre-booked collections during the strike.
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