Tag: rubbish

Rubbish will pile up in Edinburgh streets during Festival if waste and recycling workers strike, says UNISON

Waste and recycling workers in Edinburgh are being balloted for strike action over a pay dispute.

UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government union, has notified City of Edinburgh Council today (Monday) that official strike ballot papers will be sent out next Monday (June 10). The ballot will close three weeks later (July 1).

If workers vote to strike, rubbish will pile up in the streets during the Edinburgh Festival and other summer events.

The union says the current pay offer from Cosla to local government workers falls significantly short of what they deserve, and well below the pay claim that unions submitted earlier this year.

UNISON Edinburgh branch secretary David Harrold said: “If workers vote to strike, rubbish will pile up on the streets again at the Edinburgh Festival – one of Scotland’s truly global events.

“The last thing anyone wants to do is take strike action, but local government workers deserve a fair increase to stop their pay lagging behind inflation and other sectors in the economy. This is about more than just waste workers, we are standing together for fair pay for every council worker in the country.”

UNISON regional organiser Greig Kelbie said: “I would urge every waste worker in the ballot to look for their ballot envelope and return it as soon as possible.

We need to send a clear and resounding message that we demand a fair deal for all council workers. Together, we can make a difference for every council worker who deserves fair pay.”

  • Cosla pay offer read here
  • UNISON pay claim read here

Fascist graffiti at Granton

Karen Bates made a disturbing discovery at Granton  breakwater yesterday …

In contrast to the positivity of wild swimmers at Granton Harbour, we have, in the B listed WWII outposts on the Eastern Breakwater, a pop-up toilet & skip decorated with hostile, racist graffiti.

It can’t be the responsibility of #volunteers to clean up this health hazard. These structures now belong to Granton Central Developments Ltd, bought from Forth Ports.

They either need to be preserved & enhanced as historic buildings, or at least cleaned up so that the many fishers & walkers who enjoy this amazing place, can have a healthy shelter.

I didn’t want to hang around in the stench of urine to read all the #graffiti, but the photos speak for themselves.

Fascist graffiti at Granton Breakwater?! It MUST go. Utterly unacceptable, as are the piles of beer cans, #plasticbottles & fishing litter that strangle our #sealife.

The Council could perhaps put pressure on Granton Central Developments Ltd to maintain their property in a way that is even vaguely in accordance with acceptable standards for a public place, enjoyed by the many.

KAREN BATES,

Wardie Bay Beachwatch

Graffiti comments include “Gas them”, “Kill Poles”, “Hitler was right”, “Polish c**** and more of the same.

Karen has contacted the relevant authorities. Here’s hoping for prompt action – Editor.

What a waste!

City becoming Auld Reekie once again?

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A war of words is breaking out over the state of Edinburgh’s waste and refuse service. Council leaders are calling on businesses to do their bit to keep the city’s streets and pavements clear but business organisations say the council is using traders as a ‘smokescreen’ to deflect wider waste problems. Continue reading What a waste!

Talking rubbish: council crackdown on trade waste abuse

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The city council has set up a Waste Compliance Team to tackle the illegal disposal of trade waste by businesses, particularly around communal bins. The six person squad – a team leader and five wardens – started their inspections last week. Continue reading Talking rubbish: council crackdown on trade waste abuse

A rubbish protest or a protest about rubbish?

A war of words has broken out between a senior local councillor and community groups following a ‘dirty protest’ outside the council’s North Local Office in West Pilton this morning. TIE committee convener Lesley Hinds dismissed the protest as a poorly supported publicity stunt, but campaigners say they will escalate their activities if demands are not met.

Two local tenants groups – Tenants and Residents in Pilton (TRIP) and Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM), supported by campaign group North Edinburgh Fights Back – urged local residents to support a campaign to get weekly bin collections restored by staging a publicity stunt at the local council office. Local people were encouraged to bring along their black bags and bins and ‘dump’ them on the council’s doorstep.

Speaking before the protest TRIP secretary Jon Black (pictured above) said: “The Council has mismanaged the changes to refuse collection, and its unacceptable. We shouldn’t have to be cleaning up our own streets, but this is what it has come to. Its a public health hazard, and the Council needs to sort it out. We are demanding that the Council re-introduce weekly collections, and we want adequate recycling facilities provided in the area. We also want the Council to clear up all the rubbish that has been missed.”

Around a dozen people supported the event, which attracted media attention – but Councillor Lesley Hinds, convener of the Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee, said the protest was a damp squib.

“This has been a  poorly-attended publicity stunt that neither improves the situation nor  accurately reflects the needs of the community. Of course I’d be happy to meet  any of the protesters to have constructive discussions on how we can improve  their waste collection service, but they have made no approaches to us so far. In  fact I’m told there have been very few issues in the Muirhouse and West Pilton  area – which may be why only a handful of people turned out on Monday  morning.”

The protesters plan to have a public meeting next month as part of a continuing campaign to get the council to meet their demands. If those demands are not met, the campaigners plan to take further action and say that they will fly-tip rubbish at the City Chambers.