Rubbish piles up in Edinburgh…with NINE more days of strike action to go: Bins overflow in the Scottish capital during comedy festival as staff walkout in pay dispute – amid warnings it is creating a vermin infestation
- It will be another nine days before strike action taken by waste staff in Edinburgh, Scotland ends
- Wrappers and takeaway containers are piling up in the streets at a time when the city is full of tourists
- Members of the Unite and GMB unions who work for the city council walked out on Thursday
- This came after rejecting a 3.5 per cent pay offer from local government umbrella body Cosla
- Edinburgh council leader Cammy Day has warned residents and businesses that disruption is inevitable
People in Scotland’s capital are having to endure litter-strewn streets and overflowing bins during its annual comedy festival – with the mess set to get even worse, as warnings about a vermin infestation are issued.
It will be another nine days before strike action taken by waste staff in Edinburgh ends, but the problems are already growing, with bin collections and street cleaning affected as well as recycling centres closed.
Wrappers and takeaway containers are piling up in the streets at a time when the city is full of tourists because of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe held every August.
The issue has become so bad that some locals have taken to sealing the openings on already full bins to stop people from trying – and failing – to push more items in.
And the city faces a ‘massive expansion’ in the population of vermin like rats and mice as a consequence of the ongoing strike action.
People in Scotland’s capital are having to endure litter-strewn streets and overflowing bins – with the mess set to get even worse
It will be another nine days before strike action taken by waste staff in Edinburgh ends, but the problems are already growing
Wrappers and takeaway containers are piling up in the streets at a time when the city is full of tourists. Edinburgh council leader Cammy Day has warned residents and businesses that disruption is inevitable during the strike
Terry Levinthal, director of the Cockburn Association, the city’s heritage watchdog, told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme he was worried the situation would become ‘a massive public health problem’.
He said: ‘Even before the strike there were problems.
‘We had our members and stakeholders complaining, particularly in the Old Town, where we’ve seen for hospitality businesses a number of structures erected – these provide fantastic places for the city’s mice and rat population to hide away and eat all of the offerings that have been left for them, if I can put it that way.
‘And we’ll see, as a result of it, that in a few weeks’ time there will be a massive expansion in the population of vermin because there is just so much food on offer.’
Meanwhile, one branch of Tesco in Corstorphine has been forced to shut off sections of its car park containing recycling bins to deter would-be flytippers. A sign reads: ‘Due to industrial action this facility is temporarily closed.
‘Automatic number plate recognition cameras and CCTV cameras are active in this car park.
‘Details of any person flytipping items including household waste will be passed to the police.’
It is believed that people had been leaving rubbish around the bins, which are usually emptied by council workers.
Tesco said: ‘The recycling facilities in our Corstorphine Extra store are temporarily closed. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused and will reopen the facilities as soon as waste collections resume in the area.’
Street cleaning has also been affected by the industrial dispute. Then, bin collections have been hit and recycling centres have been closed
The strike by waste workers is due to last until next Tuesday. Members of the Unite and GMB unions who work for the city council walked out on Thursday after rejecting a 3.5 per cent pay offer from local government umbrella body Cosla
Members of the Unite and GMB unions who work for the city council walked out on Thursday after rejecting a 3.5 per cent pay offer from local government umbrella body Cosla. The strike is due to last until next Tuesday.
An improved pay offer, which would give workers an average 5 per cent pay increase, was tabled on Friday in a bid to avert further industrial action. Trade unions are reportedly considering this offer.
Edinburgh council leader Cammy Day has warned residents and businesses that disruption is inevitable during the strike. He has written to Deputy First Minister John Swinney and called for a meeting of Cosla to discuss a new pay offer.
Mr Day added: ‘None of us want strike action but when we have got a Government failing to meet the demands of the workforce and Cosla leaders stretched for cash across every local authority in Scotland, we need them all to get around the table and find a solution.’
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously called on council leaders to make a 5 per cent pay offer to council workers to avoid further strikes hitting other local government services.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured on Wednesday) has previously called on council leaders to make a 5 per cent pay offer to staff to avert further strikes which are also planned
A group of performers have announced they will hold a comedy show to support the striking workers. The event, which is set to take place at the New Town Theatre on Wednesday, features a number of stand-ups from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Among those scheduled to appear are Jo Caulfield, Jason Byrne, Mark Nelson, Mark Thomas and Susie McCabe.
Mr Thomas said: ‘These are the workers who got us through Covid and now they are being told to take a real cut in their wages. It’s unacceptable and they deserve our support in fighting back.’
On Thursday, picket lines were organised at waste and recycling centres across the capital and a rally was held outside the city chambers after the action formally began at 5am.
The strike in Edinburgh will be followed by a second wave of industrial action by waste workers across Scotland, coordinated by Unite, Unison and GMB unions to obtain an improved council pay deal.
Council chiefs expect all bin collections and street cleaning will be affected.
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