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Waste workers announce strike action across 15 Scottish councils

Waste workers in 15 councils across Scotland will walk out for a week this month in protest over the 'pitiful' 2% pay offer.

Waste workers in 15 councils across Scotland will walk out for a week this month in protest over the 'pitiful' 2% pay offer.

Trade union Unite said around 1,500 of its members will be involved in the second wave of council strike action.

Workers will strike from 24 August until 31 August in a move that will affect all waste services in the 15 councils.

Unite regional officer, Wendy Dunsmore, said: 'The failure of both COSLA [Convention of Scottish Local Authorities] and the Scottish Government to work to bring an improved offer to the table that could have halted this action means any blame for where we are now should be directed back to them.

'Unite will not tolerate that local government workers are the consistent poor relations and members have now had enough.

'We are calling once again on COSLA to make a fair and decent offer to workers now in order to avoid the forthcoming wave of strikes.'

In March, the union rejected a 2% pay offer from COSLA as falling far short of both the union claim and the current rate of inflation.

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