Tag: STUC

Scottish Budget: ‘Strengthening the social contract with Scotland’s people’

Deputy First Minister John Swinney laid out “a different, more progressive path for Scotland” as he presented the Scottish Budget 2023-24.

He promised to strengthen the social contract with the people of Scotland and pledged to do everything possible to shield families from the welfare cuts and austerity policies of the UK Government

Supporting sustainable public services through the cost of living crisis is a priority – including more than £13.7 billion for NHS boards and £2 billion to establish and improve primary healthcare services in communities, as well as £1.7 billion for social care and integration, paving the way for the National Care Service. This record investment goes well beyond any previous commitment to pass on all consequentials to health and social care, and delivers a £1 billion uplift to the health budget.

Having already increased the unique Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week as part of a drive to eradicate child poverty, the Budget invests £428 million to uprate all other devolved benefits in April 2023 by September’s Consumer Price Index inflation level of 10.1%. It commits £20 million to extend the Fuel Insecurity Fund to provide a lifeline for households, including the most vulnerable, against rising energy prices.

Scotland’s transition to net zero is boosted with increased investment to over £366 million in delivering the Heat in Buildings Strategy in 2023-24. This will help tackle fuel poverty as part of a £1.8 billion commitment over this Parliament to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise more than a million Scottish homes by 2030.

The Budget commits £50 million to the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray – more than double the 2022-23 allocation – to diversify the regional economy away from carbon-intensive industries and capitalise on the opportunities presented by new, green industries.

Strengthened by the agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party, the 2023-24 Scottish Budget also includes:

  • around £1 billion investment in high quality early learning and childcare provision, with a further £22 million invested in holiday food provision and expanding support for school-age childcare
  • £50 million for the Whole Family Wellbeing programme for preventative co-ordinated family support and a further £30 million to keep The Promise to care experienced children and young people
  • £80 million capital funding to support the expansion of free school meals
  • going beyond existing commitments with more than £550 million additional funding to Local Government
  • £165 million additional funding for frontline justice services and to continue with transformational reforms
  • a £46 million increase in resource funding to universities and colleges to ensure a highly qualified and highly skilled workforce for Scotland

Mr Swinney said: “The Scottish Government, like governments all over the world, is faced with a difficult set of choices. Through this Budget we are facing up to our responsibilities while being honest with the people of Scotland about the challenges which lie ahead.

“To govern is to choose and the Scottish Government has made its choice.

“Within the powers available to us, we will choose a different path. A path which sees the Scottish Government commit substantial resources to protect the most vulnerable people of Scotland from the impact of decisions and policies made by the UK Government. We choose to stand firmly behind the Scottish people, investing in our public services and doing everything possible to ensure that no one is left behind.

“This Budget strengthens the social contract between the Scottish Government and every citizen of Scotland for the wider benefit of society. This social contract means that people in Scotland continue to enjoy many benefits not available throughout the UK – including free prescriptions, free access to higher education and the Scottish Child Payment. 

“Because we know this progressive model works, we choose the path where people are asked to pay their fair share, in the knowledge that in so doing they help to create the fairer society in which we all want to live”.

Read the 2023-2024 Scottish Budget here.

Responding to the Scottish Government Budget, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “It’s clear that Scotland’s trade union movement has made progress in winning demands from the Scottish Government.

####2Raising taxes on those most able to pay, including second homeowners, are key demands in our ‘Fairer Taxes’ report. We hope reform of the Small Business Bonus Scheme will leave it fairer and less of a drain on public resources and the piloting of scrapping peak rail fares is also a step in the right direction.

“However, we needed strides, not steps. We cannot pretend this is the radical, redistributive budget working people in Scotland needed – it isn’t. We can – and will – demand the government to go much further and deliver the substantial reforms needed to our economy including introducing wealth and further property taxes called for in our report.

“The Finance Secretary has more to do and we welcome his constructive engagement with our movement. This budget leaves the door open for public sector workers to negotiate the inflation level pay rises they so desperately need. We intend to use it.”

Responding to the Scottish Budget delivered by the Deputy First Minister, Dr Liz Cameron CBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “Whilst the backdrop for today’s statement was already set by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Autumn Statement, today’s Scottish Budget will not bring much Christmas cheer.

“Businesses and households are navigating an extremely challenging period of high energy costs, rising inflation and higher borrowing costs. The specific decision by the Scottish Government to widen the divergence on income tax rates between Scotland and the rest of the UK is exceptionally concerning.

“Many will be left pondering today as to who in the Scottish and UK Governments is standing up for the economy to help businesses survive this crisis and keep people in jobs.”

On taxation:

“The Scottish Government’s move to increase the top and higher rates of income tax will hit taxpayers in Scotland more than other parts of the UK.

“This is a clear disadvantage for Scotland’s businesses and workers and could position Scotland as a less attractive place to live and work. With over 350,000 people alone in the higher rate bracket, questions remain on the impact this will have on talent attraction, retention, consumer confidence and indeed departure of workers to other parts of the UK.

“We urge the Scottish Government to publish its economic modelling of this policy decision, specifically on the proposed impact this could have on future investment decisions by companies.”

On Business Rates:

“As a priority ask from the business community, we welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to freeze the poundage rate and align with the rest of the UK. This will provide relief to ratepayers by reducing the upfront cost burden of non-domestic rates. This was the right decision as is the incentive for businesses to invest in greener plant and machinery which supports net-zero and decarbonisation.

“Looking ahead, businesses need to see widespread reform to the business rates system ensuring it is fit for purpose and aligns with the economic reality that businesses operate in.”

On regulatory legislation:

“The scale of new and incoming regulations are piling additional cost burdens onto firms when they need them least.

“The recent move to delay the short-term lets licensing scheme was welcome and we had hoped for additional signalling from the Deputy First Minister today to delay other burdensome legislation such as the Deposit Return Scheme. This will continue to cause a great deal of frustration for affected sectors and we will therefore continue to represent sector concerns to Scottish Government through the Joint Regulatory Taskforce.”

On Net Zero:

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to accelerate the move to a Net Zero economy. Businesses continue to support this agenda and a clear long-term plan for decarbonisation will support future investment and a just transition.”

Jonathan Carr-West (Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit Scotland (LGIU) said: “Today’s budget saw Deputy First Minister John Swinney attempting to reach out to local government by promising additional funding and acceding to COSLA’s request to allow councils more freedom over council tax rates.

“Scottish councils will now be poring over the detail to see how much real additional money sits behind the headline of £550 million.

“Moreover, local government in Scotland will still be left wondering how, indeed if, it fits into the Government’s overall vision.

“While Mr Swinney was keen to position his budget in counterpoint to the UK Government, he risks repeating Westminster’s error in protecting the NHS at the expense of local government when we know that the preconditions for good health rely on effective leadership of place and an integration of services that only local democratic institutions can provide.”

The Poverty Alliance says the Scottish Government could do even more to invest in a just and compassionate Scotland:

Tax

Reacting to today’s Scottish Budget announcement, Poverty Alliance Policy and Campaigns Manager Ruth Boyle said: “We welcome the decision to use our tax powers in a progressive way to get more investment for the compassionate Scotland that people want. We hope that this will be the beginning of the Scottish Government’s efforts to use the full range of tax powers at their disposal. In the longer-term, the Scottish Government must reform the basis of our tax system, including implementing the long-awaited reform of council tax, to ensure that our tax system has justice and compassion at its heart.”

Services

“Increased support for the NHS and social care is very much welcomed. However, all of our vital public services are calling out for more investment. This budget raises a number of concerns for the future, and we fear that there will be more cuts to other public services coming down the line. We all rely on these public services, but they are a vital lifeline for people on the lowest incomes.”

Social security

“We are pleased that the Scottish Government have done the right thing and uprated benefits in line with inflation. However, we could go much further. The Finance Secretary stated that a key priority for this budget was tackling child poverty and it is therefore disappointing that the budget failed to uprate the Scottish Child Payment in line with other Scottish benefits. This will mean a real term cut in the value of the payment at a time when families on low incomes need more support to stay afloat. This decision raises particular concern for the poverty of single parents, over 90% of whom are women.”

Transport

“The decision to trial the scrapping of peak rail fares will help people to make ends meet as costs continue to rise. However, evidence shows that people on the lowest incomes are more reliant on buses. There is a need to improve access to affordable transport by extending free bus travel to people on low-income benefits and to those aged under 25.”

Scotland Demands Better: EIS supports STUC’s tax reform campaign

The EIS, the country’s largest teaching union, has welcomed the publication of the report Scotland Demands Better: Fairer taxes for a fairer future by the Scottish Trade Unions Congress (STUC).

The report highlights how progressive tax reform could raise an additional £3.3Billion by 2026, including £1.3Billion of tax reforms by April 2023 to help fund public services and public sector pay.

Commenting following the publication of the report, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “The EIS welcomes the publication of the STUC report Scotland Demands Better, which represents an important contribution to debates around tax reform and the funding of quality public services.

“The report demonstrates ways in which the Scottish Government could, if it so chooses, engage in progressive reforms to ensure that public services can be properly funded.”

Ms Bradley added, “Scotland’s teachers are currently in dispute over the succession of real-terms pay cuts that have been offered to them this year.

“Since teaching unions submitted their pay claim at the start of the year, a succession of sub-inflationary offers – at 2%, 3.5%, 5% and then 5% again – have been made by the Scottish Government and COSLA, and rejected by Scotland’s teachers.

“With inflation currently sitting at between 11% (CPI) and 14% (RPI), the latest rejected offer would have meant a real-terms pay cut of between 6% and 9% for classroom teachers, and even greater cuts for promoted staff such as headteachers and deputes.”

Ms Bradley added, “Fundamentally, the funding of quality public services and fair pay for public sector workers are a matter of political priorities. Just last week, we saw an Audit Commission report highlighting that the Scottish Government had underspent on last year’s budget by two billion pounds.

“That was a political choice by the Scottish Government, and one that has profound implications for our public services. If the Scottish Government is serious about protecting our public services and valuing public sector workers, they must commit to funding our public services properly and paying our public sector workers fairly.”

Scotland_Demands_Better_Fairer_Taxes_for_a_Fairer_-FutureDownload

Emergency Budget Review published

Additional funding to help those most in need

Measures announced today will provide further help to those most impacted by the cost of living crisis while tackling budget pressures caused by rising inflation and economic uncertainty.

The Emergency Budget Review (EBR) for 2022-23 identifies funding of around £35 million for a range of initiatives to support people with the increased cost of living, including doubling the Fuel Insecurity Fund, doubling the Scottish Child Bridging Payment to £260 and a new £1.4 million Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund to help island households manage higher energy costs.

Significant investment in public sector pay deals – delivering higher increases in pay for low earners – is also designed to help families and individuals deal with the cost of living crisis.

Other measures include:

  • confirming funds to local authorities to support Discretionary Housing Payments
  • establishing a Joint Taskforce with business, COSLA, local authorities and agencies to consider the differing impacts of regulation on business
  • extending energy advice to businesses by investing £300,000 to expand the services of Business Energy Scotland, while doubling the value of the SME energy efficiency Loan and Cash Back Scheme for energy efficiency to £20,000
  • new payment break options to help protect those who have agreed to repay debt through the Debt Arrangement Scheme but face unexpected increases in the cost of living

Additional savings of £615 million have been identified to enable enhanced public sector pay offers to be made while maintaining a route to complying with Ministers’ responsibility to balance the budget. They follow savings of £560 million announced on 7 September.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “There has never been a time of greater pressure on the public finances.

“The Scottish Government’s budget today is worth £1.7 billion less than when it was published last December. At the same time, demand for government support and intervention is understandably increasing while we continue to try to fund increased public sector pay claims, particularly for those on lowest incomes.

“These savings are not ones we would wish to make, but in the absence of additional funding from the UK Government, we are left with no alternative. 

“We must balance the books while prioritising funding to help families, back business, provide fair pay awards and to protect the delivery of public services. This Emergency Budget Review delivers on these objectives.”

Responding to the Ministerial Statement: Emergency Budget Review, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “No-one should underestimate the very serious economic situation in which the Scottish Government finds itself.

“By far the greatest blame lies at the door of the calamitous Tory Government at Westminster. The STUC supports the Scottish Government’s call for the UK Chancellor to get real about the need to increase, not attack, public sector funding, for the full protection of benefits and the mitigation of fuel poverty through windfall taxes.

“However, the Scottish Government’s previous failures are coming back to bite us now. Earlier this year it could have increased taxes on the better off and reformed the flawed Small Business Bonus Scheme, but it chose not to.

“Our members have no choice but to continue to take action to protect workers from the worst of the cost-of-living crisis.

“The Scottish Government’s next budget is critical. Our People’s Plan for Action, supported by the Poverty Alliance and civil society groups across Scotland, will continue to build pressure on the Government to use its tax powers in 2023 to support decent pay, reduce economic inequality and protect our vital public services.”

The Deputy First Minister’s Emergency Budget Review statement

Scotland Demands Better!

The Scottish Government has been warned not to ‘abandon’ communities as Scotland’s largest trade union body, equality and anti-poverty organisations launch Scotland’s largest national campaign against the cost-of-living emergency.

Ahead of SNP Conference and as Challenge Poverty Week ends, The Scottish TUC, the Poverty Alliance and groups across the country launched the ‘Scotland Demands Better’ campaign. The campaign outlines the ‘People’s Plan for Action’ demanding nine actions from the Scottish Government to alleviate the crisis.

Demands include increased public sector pay, rent controls, wealth taxes and universal free school meals. The campaign further calls for increased social security payments, doubling the Scottish Child Payment and increasing Carers Allowance payments. The plan follows the STUC and Poverty Alliance joint summit on the cost-of-living crisis earlier this year.

Launching the campaign, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer and Poverty Alliance Director Peter Kelly have written to the First Minister calling for a joint roundtable meeting to help implement the plan.

Commenting, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer: “This campaign represents the voices of our communities. Government cannot abandon them in their hour of need and we’re seeking an urgent meeting with the First Minister to directly support workers impacted by this crisis.

“The People’s Plan for Action sets out exactly what we need to see from the Scottish Government. Whilst Westminster remains unwilling and uncaring to help ordinary workers, the Scottish Government must take a different path.

“Increasing public sector pay, accelerating rent controls and implementing wealth taxes gives Scotland’s poorest the lifeline they need to survive this emergency. Poverty and destitution are political choices. Scotland demands better than the devastation and hardship wilfully inflicted upon our most in need.”

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “We want to put justice and compassion back at the heart of public life in Scotland – so we can build support for practical action to tackle poverty.

“With this plan, we can start to rebuild and renew our social security, boost incomes for workers, invest in the public services we all rely on, and give people the urgent help they need with rocketing costs.

“This crisis is a moment for decision for all of us – and especially our politicians. We can create a better Scotland where poverty is a thing of the past.”

To tackle the cost of living for the people of Scotland, we demand the following –

1. A real pay rise for all public service workers

2. A social security system that loosens the grip of poverty

3. Warm homes, through municipal energy companies

4. Sustained action to tackle rent costs

5. Share the wealth, through income, wealth and business taxes

6. Universal free school meals

7. Cheap, publicly controlled public transport

8. More support for childcare

9. Enforcement of Fair Work

Focus will shift to political challenges

It’s only a week since Nicola Sturgeon announced Scotland’s Programme for Government, just seven days since Liz Truss became the new Prime Minister.

Last Thursday, the STUC organised a mass demonstration and rally at the Scottish Pariament to campaign for a better deal for Scotland’s workers.

Coverage of the event was overshadowed by unfolding events at Balmoral, but when Scotland slowly returns to ‘normal’ life after Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday attention will turn once again to the outstanding political issues facing our country.

Responding to the Programme for Government last week, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “Today’s Programme for Government shows what can be achieved through industrial action and collective campaigning.

“The Scottish Government is to be commended for freezing rents. If implemented correctly – and we are pressing for further answers – this will help thousands of households across Scotland when they need it most.

“When used, the powers of our Parliament can bring positive change This must now extend to Scotland’s tax powers. There are constraints but it simply isn’t true that Scotland has a finite budget. The Scottish Government could raise millions from income, wealth and business taxes. The Local Visitor Levy is a step in the right direction in this regard.

“In a cost-of-living emergency, we need strides – not steps. The Scottish Government could have coupled the welcome increase in the Scottish Child Payment with expanding universal free school meals to all. It’s a political choice not to feed hungry children; a choice we’re unwilling to accept.”

STUC: Scotland Demands A Pay Rise

March and Rally outside the Scottish Parliament

Thursday 8th September

Assemble 10:30am: Johnson Terrace, EH1 2PW March off: 11am

Rally at the Scottish Parliament 11.30 – 1pm

The Cost-of-Living Crisis is hitting people across the country. Public service workers in particular are facing a fresh set of real terms pay cuts on top of years of stagnating wages.

The STUC and our affiliated unions are campaigning for a range of urgent actions to stem this crisis, including action to reduce energy bills, support for those of all ages on benefits, rent caps and action to reduce transport costs.

The ultimate responsibility for the Cost-of-Living Crisis sits with the Tories at Westminster. However, this does not mean that the Scottish Government is powerless. It needs to start by funding inflation level pay rises for Scottish public service workers.

Join us, as we demand better for the public service workers of Scotland.

Victory! Strikes on hold as union members consider improved offer

GMB Scotland, Unison and Unite trade unions have suspended next week’s strikes after receiving an improved pay offer from local government umbrella organisation Cosla.

The unions are recommending their members accept the new deal.

Responding to the revised offer for local government pay, and following a meeting of GMB Scotland’s local government committee, GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Keir Greenaway said: “GMB has been very clear that more must be done for the lowest paid in local government and this latest offer delivers a significant amount of consolidated money for these workers, including the frontline refuse and schools’ staff that everyone depends on.

“It’s not a perfect offer but it is the view of GMB Scotland’s local government committee that it’s worthy of members consultation and their acceptance, but ultimately our members whose campaigning and strike actions have improved these terms will have the final say.

“In the meantime, we have agreed to suspend all planned strike action so this consultation process can take place and our GMB organisers and workplace reps will be visiting as many workplaces as possible to engage our members on this.

“Most importantly, we want to pay tribute to our members. Strike action is not easy, it requires sacrifice and solidarity to deliver outcomes that make work better, and they have fought long and hard for an improved offer to help confront this cost-of-living crisis.” 

After days of intense negotiations with the First Minster, the Deputy First Minister, Scottish Government and COSLA. UNISON has now secured an improved offer from COSLA that they will put to their members with a recommendation to accept.

The offer consists of:
• An increase of £2000 for those earning up to £20,500
• An increase of £1925 for those earning between £20,500 to £39,000
• A 5% increase for those earning between £39,000 to £60,000
• A maximum increase of £3k for those earning above £60,000
• The removal of SSSC fees where application (social care registration fees)
• 1 extra days annual leave
• All increases based on a 36hr week calculator

Three UNISON sticking points were overcome late last night with the First Minister. The first is that the pay envelope has been increased to £600m, second that the pay increases will be fully consolidated from the date of implementation and the calculations will be based on 36-hour week (rather 37hr wk).

In March council workers were offered a paltry 2%. In July they were offered 3.5%. And now, through the strength of UNISON’s collective industrial muscle and members willingness to stand up to their employers we have now achieved a total increase to the pay bill of 7.5%, with 8 in 10 UNISON workers getting increases of between 5 – 10 %.

Johanna Baxter, UNISON head of local government said: “This offer is a victory for UNISON members. It has taken 8 months and the industrial might of UNISON members in schools and early years and waste and recycling workers to drag £600m out of Scottish government and COSLA and into the pockets hardworking people.

“COSLA originally offered 2%, then 3.5%, then 5% – we now we have £600m on the table, which is a 7.5% increase to the total pay bill and 87% of our council workers will receive fully consolidated increases between 5% to 10%.

“UNISON want to get this money into the pockets of council workers now while we continue the campaign to support people through the cost of living crisis,

“It is only through the collective action of our members in school and early years staff threatening strike action and our waste and recycling workers taking action that we have forced these extra funds out of government and the employer.

“Our member’s message was clear and unequivocal – UNISON’s local government members are no longer prepared to be treated as the poor relations of the public sector. They will stand up, speak up and organise to win change together. There is always more to do but this is a welcome step in the right direction.”

Mark Ferguson, chair of UNISON Scotland local government committee said: “Do not underestimate the scale of the achievement for UNISON members. We have won significant increases from where we started 8 month ago. We have had to drag the employer to the table to even talk to us.

“This will go someway to help them through the cost of living crisis but by no means is the fight over. UNISON will now continue its campaign to improve pay and conditions for all workers in local government.”

Unite the union can confirm that following talks involving the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, COSLA and the trade unions, a new ‘credible’ pay offer has been formally put on the table.

Unite can confirm that the substance of the new offer has led to a recommendation by its local government committee to accept.

Strikes scheduled to take place in waste and education services from 6 to 13 September are now suspended. Unite will hold a consultative ballot of its local government membership on the offer which it aims to complete by 22 September.

Unite can confirm a flat rate fully consolidated offer of £2,000 for those earning up to £20,500. This is the equivalent to an increase of around 10 – 11 per cent for the lowest paid who are estimated to be around 18 per cent of the total workforce. The offer is consolidated into overtime, allowances and pensions.

It further includes a £1,925 flat rate offer which is fully consolidated for those earning between £20,500 and up to £39,000. This is the equivalent to an increase of 8 per cent for those earning around £24,000. The offer would also be backdated to April.

Unite estimates that trade union negotiators have been able to secure around an extra £460m for local government since the dispute in waste services began in Edinburgh on 18 August.

Wendy Dunsmore, Unite’s lead negotiator for local government, welcomed the new offer, she said: “After the latest round of intensive talks a new credible offer has finally been put on the table by COSLA. Unite wants to acknowledge the First Minister’s direct involvement as a primary reason for the breakthrough.

“The offer on the table is fully consolidated and as such there will be more cash in the pot going forward for local government workers. It provides a degree of security for the lowest paid with a flat rate offer of £2000 which is an uplift worth around 10-11 per cent.

“We now have a credible offer which our local government representatives can recommend to the membership for acceptance.” 

It is reported that more than half of Scotland’s 250,000 council workers are earning less than £25,000 a year for a 37-hour week.

COSLA has said it was delighted to get to a point in this year’s pay negotiations whereby a fresh pay offer has been put to the Trade Unions.

Commenting yesterday [Friday 2nd September 2022] following a meeting of Council Leaders, Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, said:  “Firstly I would like to thank all our Trade Union colleagues for the constructive discussions.

“The revised offer made shows that Scotland’s Council Leaders have listened to the concerns of our workforce and have responded positively.

“Council Leaders have said consistently throughout these negotiations that we very much value and are grateful to the Local Government Workforce.

“We have sent letters to our union colleagues following today’s meeting and hope that this enables strike action to be suspended and allows our workforce to get back to doing what they do best, delivering high quality essential services for the people within our communities right across Scotland.”

Commenting on the new pay offer for local government workers from COSLA, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “Unions work. This offer could not have been possible without the solidarity of our collective movement. As it should be, it’s now up to the members whether to accept this proposal.

“We’re facing the gravest cost of living emergency seen for generations. When there is the political will to do so, instigated by Scotland’s workers and with the assistance of political leaders, the Scottish Government can indeed intervene to help those most in need.

“Other workers across public services will welcome this precedent as they too seek pay justice in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. We intended to make this loud and clear at our cost of living pay march outside the Scottish Parliament this Thursday, September 8th.”

The City of Edinburgh Council has updated its advice to residents following this afternoon’s announcement that industrial action is to be paused.

Strike action was due to restart in Edinburgh on Tuesday but, following the latest offer from COSLA, Unite and GMB trade unions have agreed to suspend the action while they conduct a consultative ballot of their members.

The Council has updated its recovery plan to take account of this and residents are being advised that kerbside collections (grey and green wheelie bins, plus food waste) will resume as normal from next week.

This excludes garden waste and blue box glass collections, which will restart from 13 September. As previously communicated, garden waste customers will be compensated for any missed collections resulting from strike action.

Any residents who were due a collection on Thursday 1 or Friday 2 September whose bins haven’t yet been emptied are being advised to leave them out for collection – they’ll be emptied as soon as possible.

Street cleaning teams, meanwhile, continue to make good progress with the city-wide clean-up, focusing their efforts on high-footfall areas and working closely with waste collection teams to clear excess litter around bins.

Full details of the recovery plan and the latest guidance have been published on the Council website: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/binstrike

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Clearly, I’m pleased that next week’s strike action has been suspended while union members consider this latest offer – and I’m cautiously optimistic that they’ll follow their unions’ recommendation and accept.

“This dispute has already dragged on way too long and the Scottish Government and COSLA leadership would do well to reflect on this going forward.

“I know this will come as a relief to residents and businesses across Edinburgh who’ve had to endure a difficult few weeks for our Capital city – but I hope, like me, they’ll agree it’s been worth it to secure a fair deal for our hard working colleagues.

(NOTE – Cammy Day voted to offer those ‘hard working colleagues’ just 3.5%!)

“Our teams have put in an incredible shift since returning to work on Tuesday – collecting an eye-watering 3,500 tonnes of waste in the process and underlining their immense value to our city and its reputation.

“The clean-up will continue in the coming days and most kerbside collections will resume as normal from next Tuesday. Unfortunately, for this to happen, we do still need to divert some resources away from garden waste and glass collections, but I’m pleased they’ll be able to resume from the following week.

“I appreciate that this has been, and continues to be, an extremely challenging period for us all and I would like to thank our residents, businesses and visitors for their continued patience and understanding.”

Bins Strike: Politicians play the Blame Game while punters wade through mounting rubbish

TALKS to resolve the local government workers strike ended without an agreement being reached yesterday.

Unions had sought clarity over a 5% offer tabled at a meeting with local government organisation Cosla but the employers were unable to give sufficient reassurances to enable unions to call off planned strikes across the country.

This means the ongoing strike in Edinburgh will continue, with other council areas also being hit by industrial action for the first time today.

Edinburgh North and Leith SNP MP Deirdre Brock said the capital’s Labour-run council had failed to put forward a decent pay offer.

Edinburgh council’s Labour leader Cammy Day was criticised last week for offering just 3.5% to council workers while other council leaders were pushing for a 5% pay rise for their workers.

Ms Brock said: “The SNP in government put an extra £140m on the table, on top of the £100m extra given to councils earlier in the year, yet Labour refused to offer that money to refuse workers for over a week, leaving our capital streets an eyesore.

“Residents and tourists alike need to see a plan from Labour to clean up the capital starting today. All we’ve seen so far is ineptitude.”

Her Edinburgh SNP colleague Angus Robertson MSP weighed in:

The Labour administration in Edinburgh is propped up by the Scottish Conservatives and the Lib Dems, but the Tory Local Government spokesperson Miles Briggs MSP had a go at both the Labour-led council and the SNP Holyrood government:

Lamenting the city council’s ‘astounding’ lack of contingency planning – trade unions have made their plans very clear in the run-up to the strike – Lothians list MSP Miles Briggs said: “More could have been done to prepare the city, such as working with private companies or providing additional bins.

“The SNP government must get around the table and fix this before it’s too late. They cannot stand by and watch while a situation that they created by giving councils a poor funding settlement spirals out of control.”

Scotish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole Hamilton lays the blame squarely on the Scottish Government:

“Think of the white elephants the SNP has splurged cash on: independence, the ferries debacle, the embassies so they can play ‘dress-up diplomat’. All of this could have gone to councils to allow them to settle these very reasonable pay expectations.”

Talking of white elephants, our cash-strapped city council chose yesterday to announce £1 BILLION plans for a new North-South tram line … but that’s another story!

Responding to the Edinburgh refuse workers’ industrial action, Labour Lothian list MSP Foysul Choudhury said: “SNP representatives should get off their high horse about the ongoing industrial action when they should have been canvassing their own party in the Scottish Government to agree extra cash with COSLA for councils to pay workers a fair wage, rather than expecting Edinburgh City Council to cut services elsewhere.

“It is up to the Scottish Government and COSLA to agree further funding, and then up to COSLA and the unions to agree the terms of any new pay deal, not Edinburgh City Council. As a former City Councillor, Deidre Brock knows this and yet has pretended otherwise in the media.

“Nobody wants to see the streets of Edinburgh in their current state, but the ongoing industrial action shows what a crucial job refuse and recycling workers do and demonstrates why we should be paying them fairly for their work.

“At the same time it is ridiculous for SNP representatives to lay the strike at the hands of a Labour-led council when it is their party which has repeatedly slashed local government budgets in real terms, forcing councils to cut their services to the bone.

“If the SNP really wanted to avoid these strikes rather than play politics, they should have come to an agreement with COSLA sooner, or better still, avoided imposing successive years of painful austerity for local authorities across Scotland.”

UNITE City of Edinburgh Branch pointed out: “Misinformation on #edinburghbinstrikes today is rife. Strike is a national dispute—one council can’t stop it. 14 more councils tomorrow.

“Local government funding has been slashed for a decade. Idea that 5% definitely would have stopped this is a fantasy. An insulting one at that.”

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer is backing the striking unions. In a tweet yesterday, Ms Foyer said: “Solidarity to all of you. Keep fighting!

“All Scotland’s local government workers deserve a decent pay rise for the vital work you do. Let’s show our support on the picket lines across Scotland tomorrow.”

PLANNED INDUSTRIAL ACTION:

Unison

School and early years workers will strike on 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September, joining UNISON waste and recycling staff who will have already started their strike action on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September.

Unite

Strikes will be held between the 18th August – 30th in Edinburgh with a second wave expected in a further 14 local authorities this week.

Aberdeen City, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian.

Unite Campaign Page

Unison

In the first wave of action cleansing workers will strike in Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire councils for the first wave of strike action to take place on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September.

Unison Campaign Page

GMB

Cleansing workers will strike in Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire councils for the first wave of strike action to take place on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September.

City of Edinburgh Council: Disruption to Waste Services

We appreciate the impact and inconvenience this will cause you and appreciate your understanding. Please help us to keep the city as clean and safe as possible during the strike by following this guidance:

  • Regularly check our website and Twitter account for updates on services suspended and when collections will restart in your area.  Be aware normal collections may take a while to get back to schedule after the strike ends.
  • Don’t put any bins, boxes or bags out for collection until the situation changes.
  • Stock up on strong black bags, and be prepared to fill, seal and store these with extra waste. 
  • When separating your recycling, please try to flatten all cardboard and crush drinks cans and bottles.  You can bag these up, separated, to empty into the recycling bin when you can.
  • Store waste sensibly and safely. If possible, use and share empty garage space with your neighbours or store bags in your garden or driveway.
  • Don’t store waste in stairwells or landings, where it could become a fire hazard.
  • Be careful not to block bin chutes or overfill them.
  • Keep all food waste separate and in an enclosed container, to help prevent smells attracting wildlife.
  • Talk to your neighbours and share responsibility for keeping spillages to a minimum.  Help neighbours who may need support managing their waste. Explain the situation to those who may not have heard.
  • Please do not leave bags or any bulky items next to full bins. These will not get cleared away and could become a hazard.
  • Join with neighbours to do local litter picking clean ups, especially around on-street bins and litter bins on your street. 
  • If a bin is full to overflowing, don’t use it, particularly for dog fouling.  Please either use a bin that’s not full or take it home and double bag it to reduce smells.

Report a waste emergency

If you need to report an emergency issue where waste is causing injury or hazard call us and listen to select an option carefully.  Phone 0131 608 1100, from Monday -Thursday 1000-1600 and Friday 1000-1500.  After these hours, phone 0131 200 2000.

You can also email waste@edinburgh.gov.uk with the specific location and details of the issue.

Just Transition: Government must act on decarbonisation recommendations

Trade unions and environmental organisations are calling on the Scottish Government to show real commitment to fairly cutting climate pollution throughout the economy and to embrace the recommendations of the new Just Transition Commission’s first report published today.

The Just Transition Partnership, an initiative set up by Scottish Trades Union Congress and Friends of Earth Scotland in 2016, had called on the Scottish Government to set up the Commission.

The Partnership praised the first report of the new Just Transition Commission for its sharp focus on closing the investment gap, delivering a better deal for workers, tackling inequalities at every level and the need for a global just transition.

The report also calls for:

 + targeted investment in public transport, expanding rail networks, making services affordable and improving provision in remote and rural areas, rejecting Scottish Government proposals for cuts to the railway;

 + urgently tackling fuel poverty and “affordable clean energy [to be made] be available to all…addressing pricing barriers for renewable sources and reducing energy consumption through increased efficiency”;

 + the new National Care Service to be placed “firmly within the public sphere, with a robust public investment plan and a human rights delivery approach at the local, regional and national level”;

 + a new approach to industrial planning to address the “challenges of large-scale decarbonisation, the cost-of-living emergency and the climate emergency [and which] demand a whole system transformation”;

 + prioritising a ‘do no harm’ approach overseas, recognising that Scotland’s “position as an advanced economy was gained through the historic exploitation of fossil fuels, and indeed the natural resources of formerly colonised regions”.

STUC Deputy General Secretary Dave Moxham said: “We have long argued for a coherent low-carbon industrial strategy that creates decent unionised jobs through significant public investment and places the voice of workers at its core via trade union involvement at national and workplace level.

“This report lays out some of the important steps that the Scottish Government should take to achieve a Just Transition in areas such as energy, buildings and transport to ensure that workers and their communities are not left behind.

“The National Care Service recommendations are welcome. As with energy, we believe public ownership is best for tackling the climate and cost of living emergencies. Taking care services away from local government damages local delivery and accountability.”

Friends of Earth Scotland Head of Campaigns Mary Church said: “From investing in and expanding public transport to making clean energy available and affordable to all, this report outlines a series of clear recommendations for a transformative programme of climate action that can serve people and the planet.

“It also highlights the need for contingency plans where negative emissions technologies are relied on, a timely echo of repeated warnings on this front with the Scottish Government’s recent admission that these technologies won’t deliver for 2030.

“It’s hugely welcome that the report calls for an approach to just transition that does no harm overseas, particularly in the global south, and the duty on Scotland as a rich,  historical polluter in creating an enabling environment for a global just transition through climate finance, knowledge and resource sharing.

“The Scottish Government must now take rapid action to deliver on these recommendations to plug the gaping hole in its climate plan and ensure we can hit climate targets, tackle the energy price crisis while creating new opportunities for workers and communities across the country, and paying our climate debt to the global South.”

Ministers will have an opportunity to show their commitment to a Just Transition by incorporating the report’s recommendations in the draft revised Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan which is scheduled for consultation in Autumn and in the forthcoming Climate Change Plan, expected in spring 2023.

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