Council workers are set to go on strike again after GMB, Unite and Unison all put forward notice that they would be taking part.

It means the majority of the country’s local authorities will be affected in some way with waste and refuse and recycling workers set to walk out.

The industrial action will take place over eight days unless a deal can be struck before then. Workers have already rejected COSLA’s 3.2% rise between April 1 2024 and March 31 2025.

It could see repeated scenes of 2022 across the country when bins were overflowing and health warnings were put in place.

What is the current state of play?

Council workers will walk out next month with eight days proposed during the month of August.

Only six of the 32 local authority areas are expected to be unaffected from strike action from at least one of GMB, Unite and Unison.

All three have served formal notice on local authorities to expect strike action from waste and recycling workers.

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When are the proposed dates of the strike?

The industrial action will begin on Wednesday August 14 and run until Thursday August 22.

What areas will be affected?

26 areas are expected to be affected with only Argyll and Bute, Na h-Eileanan an lar, Moray, Borders, Shetland and West Dunbartonshire set to escape any industrial action.

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Scottish Highlands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling and West Lothian are all expected to be affected by the strikes.

The strike in Edinburgh comes during the Fringe festival at a time when thousands of tourists will arrive in the city.

What services will be affected, will it impact household waste?

Bin collections, recycling and street cleaning services will all be affected by the industrial action.

This includes all communal kerbside bins and boxes, street cleansing including litter bins, recycling centres, flytipping collections, bulky uplift services and public toilets.

Normal household bins will also not be collected during the strike.

What are the unions saying?

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.”

Unison Scotland local government leader David O’Connor said while the talks had been “positive” they had taken place “too late to prevent strike notices being served”.

Unison workers in 13 areas will strike between August 14 and 22, with Mr O’Connor saying: “We’re forcing employers and Government to focus on trying to find a settlement.”

Collette Hunter, Unison Scotland’s local government chairwoman, added: “Strikes are always the last resort. But local government staff have seen the value of their wages reduced by a quarter over the past 14 years.

“They’re simply asking for a pay deal that recognises the essential services they deliver and starts to address years of below-inflation pay settlements.

“Cosla and the Scottish Government must understand the anger among council staff. They are resolute and strikes will go ahead unless a solution can be.”

What are the Scottish Government saying?

The Scottish Government have been urged to intervene, similar to how the 2022 strikes were solved. On that occasion, Nicola Sturgeon got involved as the then-First Minister and Holyrood made extra funds available to councils for the payrise.

Now, John Swinney is being told he should look to solve it but Shona Robison, the Finance Secretary, insists the government can’t take any formal role in local pay negotiations

How likely is it to be resolved?  

Currently, the issue is unlikely to be resolved before the strikes take place. Cosla say they are committed to further talks

Cosla’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann says the options are limited but they value the workers but they need to make things affordable.

She 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.

"The Chancellor’s announcements about public sector pay were also discussed, as were the expectations that Ms Reeves has now set in relation to public sector pay. We did however acknowledge the Chancellor’s reference to multi-year budgets, and the opportunities this could present for a multi-year pay deal.

"COSLA remains committed to continuing our negotiations towards finding a solution as quickly as possible, seeking to do all we can to avoid industrial action and its damaging impact on our communities.

"Council leaders value the local government workforce and their essential work across our communities, they recognise the workforce pressures and the need to reward equitably.”