AS industrial action brought council services in the district to a standstill on Wedensday unions threatened there could be more of the same for East Dunbartonshire in coming weeks.
All schools and nurseries were closed in the district, as were libraries and public halls due to the national strike over union rejection of a 2.5 per cent pay deal.
In tandem, the separate dispute between UNISON and East Dunbartonshire Council lo
oked set to resort to the action which saw refuse bins lie uncollected, street cleaning suspended and public refuse depots closed earlier in the year — action sparked by a change to pay and conditions for UNISON members.
On the eve of Wednesday's action Jim Burnett of UNISON said despite the second four-week truce to allow for further negotiation coming to an end today (Friday) there was still no breakthrough.
He told the Herald: "Our position remains unchanged. We believe terms and conditions can be harmonised in a manner that does not see our members worse off in monetary terms or conditions and if that is not achieved by this Friday then we resort to action."
Prior to the eleventh hour truce agreed at the expiry of the first four-week suspension of action all UNISON members were set to down tools.
Commenting on Wednesday's national strike, a spokesman for the council said: "This industrial action is outwith the council's control, however, we are working hard to ensure that emergency life and limb services are delivered with as little disruption as possible."
After discussion with the trades unions the council negotiated the delivery of emergency cover for crucial services, including Hourcare 24, homecare for people requiring seven-day support packages and standby for other social work services such as child protection, mental health and hospital liaison.
However, while EDC had no control over the national action, the authority came in for criticism for the way it planned handling refuse collections after the strike.
The council statement on the refuse service read: "Householders who would expect a collection on Wednesday are asked NOT to put their grey bin, green bin and recycling boxes out for collection as they will not be emptied. Householders should present their grey bin on their next collection day the following Wednesday."
James Brand, from Bearsden, was just one of the many callers to the Herald who blasted the decision saying: "I phoned the council on Monday to check that my bin would be collected on the Thursday or Friday as I am going away on holiday.
"I could hardly believe it when I was told the refuse bins — which pose the biggest threat to health and the environment — are to lie for an extra week yet resources are to be put into the collection of the much more eco-friendly green waste which I was told would be collected the day after the strike.
"Yet again the residents have to live with the outcome of bad-judgement decisions made by the powers that be on East Dunbartonshire Council."
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