WASTE workers, street cleaners and recycling operators in East Lothian - and across Scotland - could all go on strike next month after another pay offer by COSLA was rejected on Monday.

Following a meeting in Glasgow with COSLA on Monday morning, Unite the Union and GMB have have turned down the latest offer of 3.2 per cent.

Unison, the biggest union representing waste and recycling workers, had already rejected the new offer, which it said put "absolutely no more money on the table".

Unison is the biggest union representing waste employees in East Lothian and the only one in the county which balloted that group of employees for industrial action

Unite has said that "mountains of rubbish will pile" the streets, as they branded it a "grossly undervalued" pay offer for council workers, but COSLA said it was a credible offer that could barely be afforded at a time of serious financial strain for Scottish councils.

Two years ago, strikes took place in 18 of the 32 council areas, leading to a number of streets overflowing with litter.

Public Health Scotland was forced to issue a health warning, with the strikes eventually ended after a 10 per cent pay increase for the lowest-paid staff was agreed.

Unite said that no "extra cash" had been added to the new pay offer by COSLA, which comes two months on from its previous offer and amounts to a 3.2 per cent increase for a one-year period between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. 

The union has said that the new offer "grossly undervalues" Scottish council workers in contrast with the offer made to UK counterparts, where a 5.2 per cent increase was tabled.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “COSLA has taken months to put a new offer to our local government membership, and it’s one that does absolutely nothing to address more than a decade of deep cuts to pay and services. 

“Unless COSLA and the Scottish Government move quickly to make an acceptable offer then mountains of rubbish will pile up across the nation’s streets.

"The politicians have a choice, and one more chance, to resolve this pay dispute before strike action.”  

The 3.2 per cent offer equates to £800 extra per annum or a 41p per hour increase, whereas the offer made to England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the National Joint Council (NJC) equates to a rise of 5.2 per cent for a council worker earning around £25,000 based on a 37-hour week.

Unite says the difference means that Scottish council workers would need to earn more than £40,000 to match the offer being made to council workers across the rest of the UK.

The union says it means that the lowest-paid workers are being disproportionately hit by COSLA’s offer. 

Industrial action could come as early as August, with GMB already having the backing from workers in nearly half of the 32 local authorities across Scotland.

Speaking after the meeting, GMB Scotland's Keir Greenaway also echoed his concerns for the disparity between offers in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Mr Greenway, who is senior organiser in public services for GMB, said: “For Cosla to suggest this is a revised and improved offer only insults the intelligence of our members.

“It is merely a repackaging of the previous offer already rejected as too low and too late.

“It begs the question why more weeks have been squandered on this when time is running out to halt imminent industrial action?

“We continue to believe a joint approach seeking more funding from the Scottish Government remains the most likely route to a resolution.

“Council leaders must meet as a matter of urgency and agree to approach ministers.

“So far, unfortunately, it seems some leaders have preferred to protect relations with their party colleagues at Holyrood instead of urgently seeking a resolution to this dispute.

“Our members deserve better and Scots relying on the frontline services they deliver - and that is every one of us - deserve better too.”

Unite also has strike action mandates involving thousands of its members across 16 councils, and it is in the process of re-balloting workers in five other councils in Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk, Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire.   

Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer, added: “COSLA’s latest pay offer doesn’t add any extra cash. It continues to grossly undervalue Scotland’s council workers compared with the offer made to their counterparts across the UK. 

“A stinking Scottish summer looms unless COSLA and the Scottish Government quickly sort this out by injecting more cash into a new offer.

"Any offer will need to value the lowest-paid council workers, at least, on similar terms as the offer made to other UK council workers. 

“The Scottish Government can no longer sit idly by, we are on the brink of nationwide strike action which could last for months.”  

Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA resources spokesperson, said: "We are extremely disappointed to hear that all unions have rejected the revised offer.

"I'll reiterate that the revised offer we put forward last week was a strong, fair and credible pay offer, higher than the rate of inflation and worth more than the first year of the Scottish Government's Public Sector Pay Policy.

"We have been very clear in all discussions with trade unions that the offer is also at the very limit of affordability for councils given the challenging financial situation we are facing.

"While we are disappointed with this outcome, we remain committed to continuing to engage as positively as we can with our trade unions, as strike action is in nobody’s interests.”

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We await further clarification on proposed dates for strike action following Unison members’ rejection of the COSLA pay settlement offer.”