Scottish council chiefs have made a revised pay offer to staff that could finally avert further bin strikes and the closure of local schools. Unison have also announced that the planned strike action next week has been suspended following the offer, while GMB have reportedly met to discuss their next steps.
A clean-up operation has begun in Edinburgh following two weeks of strike action by local refuse workers, with garbage piling high on most of the cities historic streets.
The COSLA group representing councils has now backed a revised plan by 24 votes to eight which would give £2000 to the low paid and cap the cash given to more affluent staff, as reported by the Daily Record.
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Trade unions will now consider the offer, which comes after a prolonged dispute with COSLA over pay during the cost of living crisis, with the energy price gap set to surge to almost £3500 next month. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also held crunch talks with those involved in a meeting which reportedly concluded just before midnight.
Under the new proposal that came from the talks, those earning up to £20,000 would receive £2,000, staff on between £20,00 and £39,000 would get £1,900, and those earning between £39,000 and £60,000 would be given five per cent.
However, anyone earning over £60,000 would have their pay rise capped at £3,000 - a proposal that came out of the Sturgeon talks. It is now expected that three trade unions - GMB, Unite and Unison - will discuss the offer before consulting their members.
Council and Government sources are hoping the bin and school staff strikes scheduled for next week will be suspended. Refuse workers had returned in a much needed sight for Edinburgh locals on Tuesday, although further strike action is currently planned for next week unless an agreement can be reached.
Areas such as Princes Street, the Grassmarket and The Royal Mile had become a swamp of garbage due to no bin collections and the back end of the Festival Fringe meaning industrial action began at the city's busiest period of the year.
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