7 days left to stop bin strikes - where in Scotland will strikes take place, when and what the unions want

Time is running out to avert looming bin strikes, unions have said in a fresh warning for Scottish councils - here's what we know.

When will the bin strikes take place?

Eight days of strikes across waste and recycling are due to start on Wednesday, August 14.

GMB Scotland, which along with Unite is representing bin workers in the dispute, said councils now only have seven working days to find the money to fund a new offer capable of suspending industrial action.

Keir Greenaway, the union’s senior organiser in public services, said local authority leaders needed to sign off an offer while unions discuss the detail, meaning there is even less time to find agreement.

Cosla, the umbrella body representing councils, and the Scottish Government must show a new urgency after months of needless delay, Mr Greenaway said.

“We are now days from industrial action that could easily have been avoided if councils had shown a determination to find agreement months ago,” the union organiser said.

“It has been obvious for some time that councils did not have the will or the resource to fund a fair offer while we urged them to approach the Scottish Government for support. Ministers only joined the discussions last week when our members had already voted to take action and preparation for strikes was well underway.

“The imminent threat of widespread disruption has encouraged an urgency among council leaders and ministers that should have been present from the first day of talks. That urgency means nothing if it does not quickly lead to a fair offer for our members.

“Council leaders and ministers have a narrowing opportunity to avert strikes that will disrupt the lives of Scots up and down the country. They need to take it.”

Where will the strikes take place?

There are 26 Scottish local authorities at risk of being hit by bin strikes as follows:

• Aberdeen City Council: Unite, GMB
• Aberdeenshire Council: GMB
• Angus Council: Unite
• City of Edinburgh Council: Unite, GMB
• Clackmannanshire Council: Unison
• Dumfries and Galloway Council: Unison, Unite
• Dundee City Council: Unite
• East Ayrshire Council: Unison, Unite, GMB
• East Dunbartonshire Council: GMB
• East Lothian Council: Unison
• East Renfrewshire Council: Unite
• Edinburgh City Council: Unison, Unite, GMB
• Fife Council: Unison, Unite, GMB
• Glasgow City Council: Unison, Unite
• Highland Council: Unite
• Inverclyde Council: Unison, Unite, GMB
• Midlothian Council: Unison, GMB
• North Ayrshire Council: Unite
• North Lanarkshire Council: Unison, Unite
• Orkney Islands Council: GMB
• Perth and Kinross Council: Unite, GMB
• Renfrewshire Council: Unite
• South Ayrshire Council: Unite
• South Lanarkshire Council: Unison, GMB
• Stirling Council: Unison, GMB
• West Lothian Council: Unison, Unite

What do the unions want?

Unions want a pay rise which will help tackle the cost-of-living crisis for its members, so although inflation is at around 2 per cent, they want a higher pay rise to male up for the pay erosion that workers have suffered in recent years.

Cosla recently tabled what it said was a “strong, fair and credible” offer that would see workers receive a blanket 3.2.per cent pay rise for a one-year period between April 1 and March 31 of next year.

However, unions have said talks with the councils body have not progressed, and strikes will be going ahead without a better offer.