THOUSANDS of Scottish council workers will be balloted for strike action from next week.

Last week the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) offered all council workers a 2.2 per cent rise from April 1 to September 30 this year  and 2 per cent from October 2024 to September 30 2025, but with inflation still running at 3 per cent, unions dismissed the offer as a real-terms pay cut.

After rejecting the offer and branding the proposal to change the pay anniversary from April to September as an attempt to “kick the can down the road,” union Unite has now served notice on 29 of Scotland’s 32 councils of its intention to ballot its members in their cleansing and waste services from June 5 until July 1.

General secretary Sharon Graham said workers “have seen their pay eroded for years, they are simply no longer prepared to tolerate this situation.”

And Unite industrial officer Graham McNab said: “If the ballots are successful, then our members in cleansing and waste services could begin strike action from July.

“Any action could impact on major summer events including the Edinburgh festival.

“Let’s be clear that Cosla and the Scottish government must come back to us with a significantly revised pay offer, if they do not, then our members will have no option but to take action.”

A Cosla statement said: “We remain committed to doing the best by our workforce, who deliver essential local services in every community across Scotland, and understand our trade unions are seeking the best deal possible, but this year’s settlement from Scottish government means that going any further will mean job losses and service cuts.”