Letters will go undelivered and many bins uncollected in Perth and Kinross today (August 26) due to strike action involving two separate union pay disputes.
Around 115,000 Royal Mail employees are involved nationwide following a dispute over pay and working conditions.
And Perth and Kinross Council waste and recycling staff will also strike after members of the GMB union confirmed they will go ahead with their own walkouts starting today with three more planned for the weeks ahead.
Yesterday Unite also announced that its members employed by Tayside Contracts - who provide catering and janitorial services to schools across Perth and Kinross - will also strike from September 7-9 over pay.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) rejected a pay rise of 5.5 per cent offered to postal workers.
Meanwhile GMB union bin workers are going on strike after a five per cent pay offer from Cosla (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) was refused last Friday.
No letters will be delivered on the strike days - also planned for August 31, September 8 and September 9 - with the exception of special delivery letters and Tracked24 parcels.
The waste collection strikes will be held from Friday, August 26 to Monday, August 29 inclusive and Wednesday, September 7 to Saturday, September 10 inclusive.
Householders in Perth and Kinross are being asked by the council to continue presenting their bins at the kerbside during the strike action but have been warned disruption to services is “likely”.
Perth and Kinross Council refuse workers have voted to stick to strike action if the five per cent pay offer is not improved.
And the GMB union members – which represents local bin collectors – and Unite want clarity over what the rise would mean for the lowest paid workers.
Negotiations between Cosla and unions are continuing.
Perthshire North MSP and deputy first minister John Swinney met with unions on Wednesday in an attempt to resolve the council pay row.
Afterwards, UNISON head of local government Johanna Baxter said there needs to be a “rethink” of the construction of the pay offer and wants to “explore ways” to increase it.
Wendy Dunsmore, Unite industrial officer, added that the trade unions were informed that Mr Swinney would now engage Cosla on a mechanism which could facilitate funding but that it would not come directly from the Scottish Government.
She requested the Scottish Government “directly engage” in the negotiations.
Mark Butterworth, Perth and Kinross Council’s head of environment and consumer services, said the council will do “all we can to minimise disruption for residents and businesses” and revealed that the strike action may also impact recycling centres, recycling points, street sweeping, special uplifts and public toilets.
If bins are not collected within 48 hours, residents should return their bin to their property and re-present it on the next scheduled collection date.
More information and regular updates will be available at www.pkc.gov.uk/servicedisruption and on PKC’s social media.
