East Ayrshire is set to be hit by a bin strike within weeks after trade unions GMB, Unite Scotland and Unison confirmed their dates for industrial action.

The unions today formally served notice on councils across Scotland to expect eight days of industrial action by members in waste and recycling starting on August 14.

Bins will go unemptied from the smallest villages to the biggest cities, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, where the Fringe and International Festival starts this weekend.

The industrial action comes after pay talks with Cosla, representing Scotland’s councils, stalled. The Scottish Government joined negotiations yesterday (Tuesday).

Unite welcomed “positive talks“ held yesterday (Tuesday) involving Shona Robison MSP, cabinet secretary for finance and local government, unions and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). 

But they warned a new ‘credible offer’ must be tabled ‘imminently’ and said they would not suspend its scheduled strike action until that occurs.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Thousands of Unite members will take strike action next month unless there is a new credible pay offer put on the table."

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, said a rejected pay offer of 3.2 per cent had failed to match the escalating cost of living or the rise offered to council workers in England and Wales.

He said: "We had constructive talks with the Scottish Government and Cosla yesterday but our members are less interested in constructive talks than fair pay. The process has gone on too long with too little progress.

"We are more than halfway through the year and there is no more time to waste discussing old offers with new wrapping. Enough is enough.

“Industrial action will start in two weeks unless ministers and local authorities identify the money needed to make an acceptable offer.

“These strikes will be disruptive to all the Scots who rely on our members' work but would not be necessary if councils had shown a greater urgency and sense of realism.”

Unison's David O’Connor said: "Talks this week with the Scottish government were positive. The cabinet secretary says he understands that additional funding from government is necessary and has committed to work towards that.

"Unison has been trying to get pay resolved since the beginning of the year and these government talks come too late to prevent strike notices being served. But at least we're forcing employers and government to focus on trying to find a settlement."

The action, if it goes ahead, will hit all of Ayrshire. All three unions will strike in East Ayrshire, though only Unite members will be on the streets for South Ayrshire and North Ayrshire.