Binmen and cleaners to take action as pay row escalates

BINMEN and street cleaners in Edinburgh are planning to work-to-rule as part of an escalating pay row that threatens to further cripple services across the city.

Public service union leaders today said they will be writing to council chiefs to inform them of the proposals, with the action likely to start within a fortnight if no breakthrough over a below-inflation wage offer of 2.5 per cent is made.

The work-to-rule by members of the Unite union will only take place in the Capital, as part of a campaign of action by thousands of local government workers across the country.

Public sector union Unison is not joining in with the local plans, but is discussing further one-day strikes on a national level, as well as longer walk-outs from certain sectors of the workforce – such as call centre staff – within weeks.

The action by Unite is likely to lead to delays in the city's refuse collection service, because many the binmen work overtime.

A one-day strike by the three major public sector unions – Unison, Unite and the GMB – closed libraries, social work offices and museums, affected bin collections and kept 33 schools shut last Wednesday.

Unite's Steven McGregor said: "Our members had no reluctance taking strike action. We simply can't afford a 2.5 per cent rise, and our members are in no mood to take this on the chin."

Unison leaders said further pay negotiations have been offered by local government employer Cosla.

Regional officer Dougie Black said: "We are pleased that Cosla has approached us to re-open talks on this year's pay award, following the successful strike by members of the three unions on Wednesday.

"Members made it very clear on Wednesday that they want a settlement that protects them from inflation and does not lock them in to multi-year awards. The talks are welcome but are not in themselves a solution.

"We will be talking to our fellow unions to agree future action should it be required."

Unison's Edinburgh spokesman John Stevenson added: "Our strategy is for a series of one-day stoppages, as well as selective action from groups of workers.

"There's a legal requirement to keep things moving – so it would be within weeks, but we will need to see what happens with these talks."

The pay offer for Scottish workers is better than the 2.4 per cent deal in England, which has provoked action south of the Border, but union leaders say it does not keep pace with the cost of living.

Unite says the offer is worth just 15p an hour to lower paid workers, who are already very close to the minimum wage.

But city finance leader Gordon Mackenzie said: "It is very disappointing to learn that future action is already being considered – this preempts the outcome of further discussions between Cosla and the unions that are yet to take place.

"Everyone is finding things hard during these difficult economic conditions but I do not believe industrial action is the answer."