Union leaders will meet on Monday to discuss an improved formal offer made to workers in a bid to avert bin strikes in Scotland.
A 3.2% rise was previously rejected but Cosla have now revised that offer and they will receive at least 3.6% and for the first pay pay point on local government worker pay scales, there will be an increase of £1,292, or 5.63%.
Strike action is due to begin at 5am on Wednesday August 14 and run for eight days until 4.59am on Thursday August 22.
GMB Scotland’s senior organiser in public services Keir Greenaway insists the decision to accept it or reject it will be made purely by their members on Monday, with the offer arriving to them at 4.30pm on Friday.
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He said: “Our local government committee will meet to discuss the detail of the revised offer on Monday and, if it is potentially acceptable, will suspend our industrial action and ballot our members.”
Cosla say the overall value of their offer is 4.27% and are hopeful that strike action can be averted or at least suspended while the offer is revised by unions.
Cosla’s resources spokeswoman councillor Katie Hagmann said: “Having worked hard over the last week with Scottish Government to increase and guarantee additional funding, leaders are now in a position to make this improved offer to our trade unions.
“This offer reflects what trade unions have asked for and we hope that they will now be prepared to call off the strikes while they put that offer to their members.”
Of Scotland’s 32 council areas, 26 of them are set to be affected by the strikes and Unison Scotland local government lead David O’Connor is frustrated that it has come down to the final hours again.
He said: “It’s very frustrating to be here, at the final hour again. We put our pay claim in at the beginning of the year.
“We welcome more money, and Unison Scotland’s local government committee will consider any revised offer as soon as we can. But we must make sure any pay deal works for everyone in local government.”
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