A new pay deal could prevent some Tayside and Fife council workers going on strike next month.
Trade union Unite says it will ballot members on the new deal offered by umbrella body Cosla.
A five-day walkout over a pay dispute had been planned from November 8, with trade unions urging groups of staff to strike over failed pay talks.
Refuse and recycling workers in Dundee, Fife and Angus were among those set to be involved, leading to concerns about waste collection – with a warning of potentially “significant disruption”.
Talks progress amid threat of five-day strike
School janitors and cleaning staff were also set to walk out in Fife, though no school workers would have been involved in Dundee and Angus, while workers in Perth and Kinross were also not involved.
An update from Unite on Friday says the union welcomes progress in talks with Cosla, which negotiates council staff pay on behalf of all of Scotland’s local authorities.
A ballot will be conducted among members to decide whether to accept the revised offer, while the union says it will consider whether to postpone the planned industrial action during this process.
A statement from the union said: “Unite will follow the democratic process and put this offer to their local government committee meeting on Monday with a view to conducting a consultative ballot over the next two weeks as well as considering the postponement of the upcoming industrial action.”
The decision to accept the offer rests with the workforce within local authorities
Wendy Dunsmore, Unite
Wendy Dunsmore, Unite regional officer, said: “Unite appreciate that there has been an updated offer made by Cosla which could help bring an end to this dispute.
“The decision to accept the offer rests with the workforce within local authorities.
“Unite members will decide if the offer is good enough and we will await the outcome of the democratic process on whether this dispute is settled.
Decision on strike action due next week
“Any decision to postpone future strike action will be made early next week.”
Cosla has confirmed a revised offer had been submitted to the trade unions.
It is understood the other local government unions, including GMB, will ballot members on the offer.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “A resolution which is suitable for all
sides and avoids industrial action is in all our best interests.”
Tayside and Fife council workers announce five-day November strike over pay dispute
