According to a report by the British media "Daily Star" on August 22, Edinburgh in Scotland, UK, recently held a large-scale "trash can" strike. The ancient city suddenly turned into a garbage dump, and garbage was thrown away on the streets. It was everywhere and had a huge impact on the city. Even local residents called the scene "disgusting."
As you can see from "Edinburgh Live", piles of fast food boxes, plastic bottles, food cartons, garbage bags, etc. are scattered all over the old town of Edinburgh, but no one comes out to clean them up.
It is reported that all recycling and garbage disposal centers in the city have been closed, and residents are advised to store garbage at home. Previously, due to concerns about the health and safety of the city, some locals had used their weekends to voluntarily carry out community clean-up work.
According to reports, the general strike organized by the local joint union and GMB union began on August 18 and will not end until August 30. Union organizers said the cost of living crisis, rapidly rising inflation and rising fuel prices were putting pressure on workers, forcing some to choose "between keeping warm and eating".
They hope that the authorities can solve this problem as soon as possible and propose a pay increase of 8% or 9% for low-income workers, while those who are already well-paid can receive a smaller increase.
The Edinburgh City Council responded that as soon as the strike ends, everything will be solved and promised a 5% salary increase.
However, Alison Maclean, an official of the United Workers Union, said that although the 5% pay increase was an improvement compared to the previous 2% and 3.5%, it was necessary to emphasize that the current overall pay increase across the country Inflation (based on the retail price index) has hit a 40-year high of 12.3%, which is still well below current inflation rates. Keir Greenaway, senior organizer at the Scottish branch of
GMB, also said it was important to ensure the lowest paid people received the biggest pay rise before any further negotiations could proceed.
In response, Edinburgh City Council leader Cammy Day stated that they will continue to work hard to reach a settlement as soon as possible so that the city can return to normality as soon as possible after the strike.
Ms Dai added, "I fully understand the impact this action will have on our city, and we also hope that all residents will remain patient during the strike and dispose of their rubbish safely and responsibly to cope with the consequences of the strike action. The inevitable impact”
Business owner Garry Clark of the Federation of Small Businesses. Clark is worried that the strike will have an impact on the upcoming Edinburgh Art Festival. After all, this is the first time the festival has fully reopened to the outside world since the COVID-19 epidemic.
Mr Clark explained: "This is our showcase to the world. Thousands of visitors will flock to Edinburgh to enjoy this rare summer festival. We encourage people to get out and about, rather than being piled into The rubbish scares away Lothian Tory MP Miles Briggs. Brigss also criticized that the accumulation of rubbish on the streets will damage Edinburgh's reputation, and the authorities must intervene immediately to prevent Edinburgh and Scotland from being embarrassed internationally.
Mr Briggs warned: "This annual festival should be a source of pride, not shame. The authorities must sit down and address this issue as soon as possible before it is too late. You cannot stand idly by and watch. The whole situation is out of control.”
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made it clear that Edinburgh is the center of the cultural world and the authorities will do their best to end the city’s garbage bin chaos as soon as possible.
Ms. Sturgeon also emphasized that she hopes that improved wages (ie a 5% salary increase) can resolve this dispute. No one wants to see the damage and impact of this strike on Edinburgh.
Source: Daily Star, Bing
