AROUND 50 binmen and litterpickers in Hawick are threatening to down tools in opposition to a pay cut of more than £1,000 a year.
According to one local worker, who didn't want to be identified, a strike is on the cards after staff received a letter from trade union Unite asking if they will accept new contracts – which will give them a take-home pay of just £200.
The wage c
ut is as a result of Scottish Borders Council seeking to redress the inequality among its 4,500 manual and clerical employees, and is merging 1000 different job descriptions into 100.
And although just over half of the overall workforce will gain from the exercise, local bin men have been targeted to take a pay cut, and they are prepared to fight it.
"Everyone is going bananas," said our source. "I think a strike is inevitable and people will just stop work eventually if this doesn't get sorted out. Basically, we feel that the council are taking the mickey."
Around 52 per cent of council staff will be at least two per cent better off under the new contracts, 36 per cent will either gain or lose within two per cent, while 12 per cent, including the manual cleansing staff, will lose out by more than two per cent.
The net cost of implementation to SBC will be around £5million, and the current pay of those who are losing out will be protected for three years under the new arrangement.
The local worker added: "That basically means we will be on less pay than we are now for the next three years, while the cost of living continues to go up."
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