EIGHT days of strike action by waste and cleansing workers across Renfrewshire have been suspended.

Scottish trade unions Unite and GMB confirmed the news today following committee meetings this morning.

The strike action was set to begin on Wednesday across 18 councils including Glasgow, Renfrewshire, and North Lanarkshire.

A ballot, opening on August 15, will begin on a new pay offer made by COSLA – which is a significant improvement on the initial offer made in May.

The new offer represents a minimum cash increase of £1,292 for the lowest-paid council workers, which is equivalent to 5.2 per cent for those earning around £25,000.

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The Scottish local government living wage will also increase by 5.63 per cent.

Graham McNab, Unite’s lead negotiator for local government, said: “Unite members across all of Scotland’s councils should be applauded for standing firm. They have remained resolute in an effort to secure a fairer and better pay offer.

“We believe that the new pay offer is credible. For the first time in years, it will mean all council workers receiving an above-inflation increase.

“Unite will now suspend the eight days of strike action so a ballot can take place on the new offer.”

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, added: “This offer is a significant improvement on what came before but our members will decide if it is acceptable.

“As a gesture of goodwill, we will suspend action until our members can vote on the offer.

“It should never have got to this stage, however, and Scotland’s council leaders have again shown an absolute lack of urgency or sense of realism.

“For months, we have been forced to waste time discussing a series of low-ball offers when it was already clear the Scottish Government needed to be at the table.

"The obvious reluctance of some council leaders to approach ministers has only caused needless uncertainty and threatened disruption.

“That is no way to run a railroad or conduct serious pay negotiations.”

A minimum increase of 67 pence an hour or 3.6 per cent, whichever is better, will be applied to council workers if the offer is accepted.

This amounts to an average 4.24 per cent increase for a one-year period between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.