'Utterly incompetent' SNP Green government slammed by trade union chief over bin strike
dailyrecord.co.ukA trade union leader has savaged the Scottish Government over its role in the dispute over council workers' pay. GMB general secretary Gary Smith accused Nicola Sturgeon ’s administration of playing games and trying to “pass the buck” onto local government.
He said: “We’re caught between a Tory Government that’s utterly rotten and a Scottish Government which is utterly incompetent.” Smith took aim at the Scottish Government over bin strikes that started in Edinburgh but which have spread to over 20 councils.
Unions have rejected a 5 per cent rise and talks have so far failed to break the deadlock.Although the dispute is between council umbrella group COSLA and the trade unions, Smith blames the Scottish Government for allegedly short-changing local authorities: “There has been politicking and posturing from COSLA and the Scottish Government, but ultimately the Scottish Government has to own this."We know that funding and support for local councils has been hammered over the past decade or more.
It is very clear that we had a cost of living crisis developing.“The Scottish Government had the opportunity and had the wherewithal to resolve this before now.Speaking to the Record, he said: “There’s a game that goes on and our people are just props in that, and the game is to keep this away from the door of Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government.“The politics of grievance is the norm.
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