Scottish councils have been told to prepare for eight days of strikes, with GMB and Unite members ready to walk out over pay. 

The unions have joined Unison in formally serving notice on local authorities to expect industrial action by waste and recycling workers on 14 August.

That means bins will go unemptied across the county, including in Edinburgh, where the International Festival and Festival Fringe are due to start this weekend.

Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, will also be affected.

READ MORE: Swinney told £50m can prevent Scottish bin strikes

Talks between the unions, Cosla leaders and Finance Secretary Shona Robison ended on Tuesday without a deal.

Scotland’s cash-stapped councils insist that their offer of a 3.2% pay rise backdated to April is at the “absolute limit of affordability.”

But the three unions are looking for parity with counterparts in England who have been offered a pay rise of £1,290, which represents a 5.2% rise for those earning £25,000 a year.

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser, said: “We had constructive talks with the Scottish Government and Cosla yesterday but our members are less interested in constructive talks than fair pay.

“The process has gone on too long with too little progress. There is no more time to waste talking about old offers with new wrapping. Enough is enough.

“Industrial action will start in two weeks unless ministers and local authorities urgently identify the money needed to make a fair and acceptable offer.

“These strikes will be disruptive to all the Scots who rely on our members’ work but would not be necessary if councils had shown a greater urgency and sense of realism.”

READ MORE: Chance of bin strikes grows as ScotGov COSLA & Unions meet

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said her members had been waiting months for "an offer which reflects their professionalism and the dedication which they put into delivering vital local services.”

Cosla’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann, said there were "financial challenges facing local government in relation to meeting pay claims."

She said Ms Robison had been asked to find cash to help councils. 

Cllr Hagmann said: "Whilst no immediate solution was identified, officers will now undertake further work at pace in the coming days to explore all options to avoid industrial action.

"However, I reiterated to the Cabinet Secretary the very limited options available to Local Government, and that any solution needs to be both affordable and sustainable."

Cammy Day, the leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, called on all parties to try to resolve the dispute.

Mr Day said: “I urge the Scottish Government and Cosla to stay round the table with the unions and find a way of averting what will be a hugely damaging dispute for Edinburgh – and for Scotland as a whole.”

Scottish Tory MSP for Lothian region Miles Briggs said the buck stopped with the Scottish Government.

“We simply cannot allow rubbish to pile high in the streets of Scotland again," he said.

“This strike action is set to take place in the middle of the Edinburgh festivals, at a time the capital is welcoming the world to our beautiful city. In 2022 we saw the level of disruption that these strikes caused, with rubbish strewn across our streets.

“The strikes would also cause significant public health concerns, with rubbish not being removed."