LOW-PAID cleansing and waste services workers across Scotland’s councils could walk out in the coming weeks after they voted to reject pay cuts.

A total of 23 of Scotland’s 32 councils have seen either GMB or Unite, or both unions win mandates for strike action as thousands of workers in waste services rejected a subinflation pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) of 2.2 per cent from April 1 to September 30 followed by 2 per cent in the following year.

The GMB won a ballot in 13 authorities, including Edinburgh, and the union’s senior organiser for public services, Keir Greenaway, has warned of a repeat of the 2022 dispute which saw rubbish pile-up during the Edinburgh Festivals.