Edinburgh littered with teeming rubbish bins as workers strike over pay

LONDON

Rubbish bins across the Scottish capital Edinburgh are piled high with waste as workers strike over pay.

The strike, which comes during the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is now in its fourth day, has left bins teeming with rubbish in various areas of the city.

Picket lines were set up at waste and recycling centers and a rally was held outside the Edinburgh City Chambers as part of the industrial action, which kicked off last Thursday.

Hundreds of workers from Unite, Unison and GMB unions rejected a 3.5% pay hike offer from the Edinburgh council last week.

A new offer of 5% has been put forward, according to reports.

The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the UK’s biggest festivals and draws thousands of people to the Scottish capital.

The event was not held for the past two years due to COVID-19, and many local businesses were eager for it to restart as the UK grapples with a growing cost-of-living crisis.​​​​​​​