Bin strikes to go ahead across Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Thousands of people who work in waste collection in Scotland are planning to strike from today onwards.

The unions that represent the workers say that the government and local councils are not offering enough money for the workers to do their jobs.

Twenty-one councils will be impacted by industrial action, with 14 local authorities already on strike as of Wednesday.

Bin workers in Edinburgh already started their 12-day strike last week, which has seen rubbish piling up in the city during its world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Image source, Getty Images

This is the latest in a number of strikes that have happened across the UK this summer.

Many workers in lots of different industries -or types of work - are unhappy with their wages, particularly as the UK is experiencing a cost of living crisis.

Waste workers from these twenty-one Scottish councils are planning strike action in August and September:

  • Aberdeen City
  • Aberdeenshire
  • Angus
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Dundee
  • East Ayrshire
  • East Lothian
  • East Renfrewshire
  • Falkirk
  • Glasgow
  • Highland
  • Inverclyde
  • Kinross
  • Midlothian
  • North Lanarkshire
  • Orkney
  • Perth
  • South Ayrshire
  • South Lanarkshire
  • Stirling
  • West Lothian

Image source, Getty Images

On Tuesday the trade unions representing waste workers met with representatives for Scottish local government - Cosla.

Cosla said the talks went well, but the waste workers' unions did not agree.

Johanna Baxter, from a union called Unison said they were "a long way" from agreement.

She said Cosla's pay offer was "nowhere near" what was being offered to workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"The only thing that both parties could agree on is that we need the urgent intervention from the deputy first minister to put additional funding in place and both will be writing to the deputy first minister to that effect today," she said.

This means that representatives on both sides of the issue what the Scottish government to step in and help solve the issue.

Newsround will keep you updated on this story as it develops.