WASTE could soon be piling up at homes and on Clackmannanshire’s streets with cleansing workers set to take strike action this month.

Unison members at Clackmannanshire Council’s Waste and Street Care Services will be taking part in Scotland-wide industrial action between August 14 and 22 as the result of an ongoing pay dispute.

Waste, refuse and street cleaning staff will walk out after they rejected a 3.2 per cent pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), the local government employer organisation.

The pay dispute affects all council staff, it is understood.

Kevin McIntyre, branch secretary for Unison Clackmannanshire, told the Advertiser: “It's unfortunate that once again our members are left with no option but to take industrial action in order to get Cosla and the Scottish Government to listen to our demands for a reasonable pay increase.

“The 3.2 per cent offer on the table is well below that offered to our colleagues in England and Wales, and it will not be enough to overcome the ever-increasing cost of living.

“Our members in Waste and Street Care Services will take these eight days of action which will leave bins and rubbish piling up at homes and in our streets.

“It is important to highlight the value of the work our members do and the consequences when their labour is removed.”

The strikes are the first in a series of planned actions with members working in schools currently being balloted, which could see disruption and school closures come autumn.

The branch secretary added: “Our members do not want to be taking this action, they want to be at work and delivering the essential services that we all rely on.

“We must reach a fair and reasonable pay settlement and the employers must come back with an offer that our members can accept."

Cosla claimed the current offer is the "limit of affordability for councils" but promised they would try and find a resolution to the issue “as quickly as possible”.

Altogether, workers in 26 local authorities from unions Unison, Unite and GMB are taking part.

A spokesperson for Clackmannanshire Council said: “At this stage the council is reviewing what impact the strikes may have on waste services.

“The council will communicate plans with our residents in advance of any industrial action.”

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Elsewhere, Barry Fisher, chief executive of environment charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, is urging the parties to find a resolution as industrial action in recent years “led to shocking images highlighting just how much waste is created by our habits and desire to eat and drink on the go and the sheer volume of single-use packaging, that goes in bins or ends up as litter”.

The organisation said it was really concerned about the impact of strikes but Mr Fisher added: “However, we also recognise the vital role that council waste and streetscene teams across Scotland play in keeping Scotland beautiful and litter free.

“Everyone is facing challenges due to the cost-of-living crisis and we urge all those involved to find a resolution so industrial action can be averted.

“If proposed action does take place, our message is clear – consider what you buy, #ChooseToReuse cups and bottles and if you can’t, take your waste home – to help those who are tasked with managing our waste.”