The strike began yesterday as world leaders arrived in the city for the conference, and is expected to continue until 8 November.
It follows “last ditch” talks on Sunday between trade union GMB and Glasgow city council, where failed negotiations took place.
Trade union GMB Scotland claim that Glasgow city council has acted in “bad faith” and refused to give members “proper time and space” to discuss issues surrounding pay.
However, Glasgow city council said that the strike action is in response to “national rather than local pay negotiations”, and that COSLA, the body that represents Scottish local authorities, is continuing to hold talks with trade unions over the issues.
Due to industrial action all cleansing services are currently disrupted. Do not present your household refuse bins for collection on the usual day. We will now revert to our contingency plans.
More info & FAQs, please read 👉 https://t.co/ZJ4baXzKOOhttps://t.co/AIf73zcSIf
— Glasgow City Council (@GlasgowCC) November 1, 2021
In a statement, the council said that all household waste and recycling services will be affected, as well as garden, food and commercial waste services.
It added that all street cleansing teams will strike, meaning that the majority of street bins will not be emptied.
Glasgow has urged residents not to present waste for collection during the strike days, and issued advise on minisming the amount of waste at home “wherever possible”.
It also said household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) will remain open for residents to dispose of both recycling and residual waste.
The council said that once the strike concludes, it will still be some time before collections will return to normal. The crews are part of an in-house team.
Pay offer
GMB Scotland said that on Sunday, it offered a “clear set” of proposals to “reset industrial relations and avoid strikes”, however claimed that the council rejected these proposals.
GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “We specifically offered heads of terms to work together to tackle the chronic and unacceptable problems caused by years of cuts, to urgently address the employer’s unresolved discriminatory pay system and outstanding equal pay liabilities, and back this with a commitment from the council that they would not use anti-trade union laws against their workers again.
“We also proposed the Scottish Government support this process, because if the fair work agenda is to have any credibility whatsoever, then Scotland’s biggest city should be the example of it rather than the opposite.
“Regrettably, the council refused this massive opportunity to move forward and strike action across the cleansing service will now begin, during which time our members will be balloted on the COSLA pay offer.”
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