Contractors to clear bins during Glasgow strikes due to Bonfire Night risk, say SNP

Private firms are thought to be brought in to cover cleansing staff in the coming days as 970 workers have downed their tools in a campaign for better pay. 

The move was announced by Glasgow City Council yesterday afternoon as cleansing bosses declared they would be sending the bill to the GMB. 

Cllr Allan Casey, workforce convener, warned that piling rubbish poses a risk to public health while he added the SNP supports “entirely the right to engage in strike activity”.

Cllr Allan Casey

A statement from the Dennistoun representative reads: "As it does every year, Bonfire Night poses a significant fire risk. The risk to public safety increases considerably if uncollected rubbish is a factor, particularly at certain types of domestic properties.

“We would rather this cover could be provided by non-striking council staff and if the GMB could give us that reassurance so that Glasgow residents are not put at unacceptable risk then clearly the use of contractors will not be necessary.”

The walkout - which has left bins overflowing across the city - started at one minute past midnight on Monday morning and is expected to last until November 8. 

It comes as part of an ongoing feud between GMB members and COSLA - an umbrella body that represents councils in Scotland. 

READ MORE: Glasgow bins: Contractors to be drafted for collections and GMB will be sent the bill

The union agreed to suspend strikes on Friday afternoon after a pay proposal was presented by the body.

But, after members were denied the request to have Monday and Tuesday off to "consider the 11th-hour offer from COSLA", the GMB U-turned on its agreement to ditch industrial action.

Among a string of demands, it is understood the union also asked council officials for a £20 per day cleansing bonus for staff during COP26 and commitment to never reduce the budget of the cleansing service.

Meanwhile, the local authority had considered taking legal action over apparent "irregularities" in the union's balloting process prior to the strikes. 

The action was, however, withdrawn shortly before the eleventh-hour pay deal was struck between COSLA and the GMB on Friday. 

A recent statement from Glasgow City Council reads: “The GMB has left us with no option but to explore contingency plans to tackle the unfolding public health and fire hazards the strike is causing. This is not an action we consider lightly and this is the first time we have had to consider it since 2009.

“We had appealed on Sunday to them, during the ongoing negotiations, for public health exemptions which included refuse collections from high rises, student accommodation and street bins and but this was refused.

“We can’t have rubbish piling up – especially when the union keeps changing the duration of the strike. On Sunday they told us the strike would last two or three days, today they told us 8 days.

“During a strike meeting today, we told GMB that our senior counsel’s opinion is that the strike is unlawful but our hope remains that we can resolve the issues with continuing dialogue.

"We will be considering recouping any public funds spent on private contractors from the GMB – as our citizens should not be penalised in the pocket for a dispute over national pay talks.”