CLEANSING and waste workers in Fife could be set to strike after staff across 29 Scottish councils were balloted.

Unite the Union has confirmed that it has served industrial action notices to the local authorities in an escalating pay dispute.

If the ballots are in favour, strike action could begin from July with major events potentially being impacted during the summer including the Edinburgh international and fringe festivals.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members undertake vital frontline jobs. Despite the essential work they do, they have seen their pay eroded for years, they are simply no longer prepared to tolerate this situation.

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“COSLA and the Scottish government have been warned that they must do far more to meet the pay aspirations of our members. The blame for any strike action taking place will lie at their doors.

“We will back our members all the way in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in local government.”

Last week, Unite confirmed that its local government representatives had rejected outright a formal pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ (COSLA).

They said they were offered 2.2 per cent effective from April 1 to September 30, and then two per cent for a 12-month period effective from October to September 2025.

Graham McNab, Unite industrial officer said: “Unite has now served industrial action notices to nearly every council in Scotland. 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.”