Public health warning as bin strikes continueon August 27, 2022 at 10:19 am

Scotland’s national public health agency has warned of a risk to public health as bin strikes continue across the country.

Public Health Scotland said people could be at risk from the build up of food, animal and human waste like nappies.

It has issued advice to the public and local authorities on limiting the impact.

The warning came as talks to end the bin strikes entered their third day.

It is understood discussions between councils and unions are focusing on a new deal for the lowest-paid workers.

BBC Scotland has been told that no deal is imminent but “slow progress” is being made.

Public Health Scotland said the impact of waste on health depended on factors including the type of waste and the weather.

“If organic waste builds up it can become a risk to human health,” the agency said.

“Organic waste includes food waste, animal waste (from food or excrement), human waste (including nappies) and manure.”

It said it had recommended councils decontaminate public areas where bins had overflowed to reduce the risk to people’s health.

And it issued a series of precautions people can take at home:

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has said the piled of rubbish building up throughout Edinburgh are “deeply concerning” for public health.

Refuse workers in Edinburgh are more than halfway through a two-week strike which has left bins overflowing and rubbish piled high during festival season.

Staff in a further 20 council areas are also now on strike, with the industrial action due to continue until the middle of next week.

Unions are seeking an agreement similar to the one made to council workers in England.

That included a £1,925 flat rate pay offer, which the union said would benefit the lowest paid the most.

BBC Scotland correspondent Jamie McIvor said the fact that negotiations were continuing was a positive sign.

He added: “The councils are very sympathetic to the claims being made by the unions, they understand the cost of living crisis and what that means for so many of their staff.

“It is that question of what councils can actually afford to pay, even with the extra £140m they have been given by the Scottish government.”

Council body Cosla said the Unite, Unison and GMB unions had rejected an offer earlier this week that would have meant the lowest paid 12% of council workers would get a pay increase of more than 5%.

It has also said the latest pay offer amounted to “one of, if not the best offer in decades for Scottish local government workers” with some workers getting an overall 7.36% increase.

Unions have called for more funding from the Scottish government to pay for an improved offer and rejected a request to suspend the strikes while further negotiations were held.

Charity groups and local businesses are attempting to clear some of the mess in Edinburgh city centre.

James David Lee, a member of staff at Biddy Mulligan’s pub in the Grassmarket area, said he and his colleagues had taken to cleaning up the mess nine days into the strike.

He said: “It’s got so bad now and it’s outside our work so we are cleaning it up.

“We take pride in our work and we don’t like to see the outside of our pub looking like this.

“Something we have seen is the disappearance of performers due to the bins overflowing. Normally the Grassmarket would be full of performers and jugglers.”

Fellow bar worker Megan Alexander, added: “I’m finding this disgusting work. It’s certainly not our job. I feel a bit upset about it all.

“Our neighbour who runs an ice-cream shop has had to close due to the rubbish.

“His queue is normally way down the Grassmarket. It’s terrible he’s had to close due to the bins.”

The bar workers said once they had bagged up all rubbish outside the pub they hoped their private refuse collection company would collect it.

Meanwhile, a religious group has said it will be putting 30 trade bins in five locations across Edinburgh city centre, which will be filled and then removed by its volunteers.

A spokesman for the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church said: “We are working with a local contractor with permission from Edinburgh City Council and once filled the bins will be collected and the waste disposed of and the bins replaced.

“We see this as an ongoing operation until a satisfactory pay resolution is reached.”

GMB Scotland said they would rather see the church’s volunteers back their members’ demands for a pay increase.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the latest round of talks were aimed at ensuring there was “intense dialogue” around resolving the dispute, adding: “I do hope that leads to substantive progress.”