Exclusive:The bin strikes demand issued by business leaders to salvage ‘Scotland’s global reputation’

The leaders of some of the country’s most prominent business and tourism bodies have used an open letter to set out their “disappointment and frustration” over the looming bin strikes, which could result in rubbish piling high on the streets of Edinburgh during the festivals.

The letter, obtained exclusively by The Scotsman, has been forwarded to the Scottish Government and council umbrella body Cosla, piling more pressure on First Minister John Swinney to come up with more money for workers.

Three trade unions have rejected a 3.2 per cent pay rise offer from Cosla calling for a more generous settlement for local government workers south of the Border to be matched. An improved offer of 5.2 per cent, or £1,290, for the lowest-paid workers could be enough to prevent industrial action, the Unite union has said.

Following a crunch meeting of council leaders on Wednesday, Cosla has agreed to call on the Scottish Government to hold talks and put forward more money to avert the industrial action, which is set to take place next month when Edinburgh holds its summer festivals.

The planned strike action would see a repeat of a similar dispute in the summer of 2022, which left piles of rubbish piled high in the capital, before SNP ministers intervened.

Now, business leaders from across Scotland have signed the open letter in which they vent their frustration at the situation, warn the impact on trade and the public has not been highlighted and take aim at unions for targeting the summer festival period.

The letter is signed by Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, and Michael Golding, chief executive of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions. Other signatories include Fiona Campbell, chief executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, and Paul Togneri, senior advisor the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, alongside a further 11 business leaders.

The industry leaders have expressed their “disappointment and frustration at the proposed bin strikes and other industrial action targeted at disrupting major summer events in Scotland, including Edinburgh's festivals”.

The letter adds: “Every summer, Edinburgh is the centre of the world for arts and culture, with the various festivals attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors. Our city is on the world stage and the festival season provides an opportunity for Edinburgh and the Lothians to cement and enhance its standing as a global destination.

“Unfortunately, two years ago, this opportunity was seriously undermined by industrial action over the festivals. This tarnished our city’s reputation among visitors from across the globe, potentially impacting future trade, while also negatively impacting the experience for locals and our businesses.

“As leading representatives of local business, we fear that unless all parties involved come together to resolve the current dispute, the same will happen this year.”

The traders have warned that as the pay dispute has developed, “the impact and damage on business and the public including visitors appears to have been absent from any discussion between the parties involved”.

The letter adds: “Government at all levels have allowed this dispute to develop, providing unions with the opportunity once again to target the festivals, without any concern for the detrimental impact it could cause, whether economic, social or in terms of the public health risk.

“Many small businesses across Scotland and in Edinburgh rely on the critical summer months for a large portion of their annual income. If this dispute does go ahead, this will be severely detrimental to these businesses resulting in a loss of revenue that cannot be recovered.

“As a collective group of business organisations, we urge government, Cosla and the trade unions to get round the table and resolve this issue for the benefit of Scotland’s global reputation, as well as the economic wellbeing of our city, local businesses and the wider public.”

So far, the SNP Government has declined to take part in negotiations, despite the appeal from Cosla and trade unions to do so.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Local government pay negotiations are a matter for local authorities as employers and unions.

“The Scottish Government urges all parties involved to work together constructively and reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers. Any request for a meeting will be considered carefully when received.”