| Councillor Kevin Keenan last night met Unite union official Colin Coupar to discuss the progress of the action, which has left city streets swamped with waste for the last three weekends.
Mr Keenan today said blame for the delay in reaching a settlement had to be shared by the council and the trade unions.
He said, “It’s a pity the dispute has rumbled on for so long in this manner without a resolution. Along with most other people, I’d have preferred to see it resolved long before now, but it seems both sides have gotten a bit entrenched.
“I met with council management last week and was assured a written offer would be making its way straight to union representatives.
“That it took a week to arrive is not fantastic, for sure.”
The dispute involves 200 cleansing workers who have embarked on an overtime ban and work-to-rule in a row over pay.
The workers claim they stand to lose between £400 and £600 a year after the authority incorporated several public holidays into their annual leave entitlement and cut the overtime rate from double time to time-and-a-half.
A written offer from the council to resolve the dispute has now been handed to Mr Coupar, who is assessing the workers’ next move.
Mr Keenan said, “Mr Coupar wasn’t able to give me any indication of whether the offer is satisfactory, but I understand he’s been working through it over the last 24 hours.”
A Unite spokesman said workers would decide whether or not to accept the council’s written proposal soon. |
