EDINBURGH'S bin men have walked off the job as rubbish piles up around the city – blaming "health and safety" fears in the icy conditions.
Two out of three refused to go to work yesterday despite other council staff, including parking attendants and parks staff, pitching in to clear snow off the streets.
Around 40 per cent of city residents are facing delays to their rubbish collections with some bins unemptied for more than three weeks.
The latest move by the bin men, who are embroiled in a bitter work-to-rule dispute with the council, has sparked anger among other council workers, who labelled them an "absolute disgrace".
It is understood refuse staff were demanding "Arctic clothing" before braving the chilly conditions, and there were also concerns about slipping on icy pavements.
However, council bosses said the bin men's refusal to work was more likely a response to a letter which went out informing staff they must accept new pay conditions or else face being fired and told to re-apply for their jobs.
Mark Turley, director of the council's services for communities department, said bin men had been given the option of working or going home without pay, and around two thirds of the 260-strong workforce left.
Mr Turley said: "All of the refuse collection staff refused to leave the depot due to health and safety concerns in light of the conditions. We expressed the view that they have been working in difficult conditions, but safely, for the last three weeks. We asked them to go out in the city centre, for example, and they refused to do that".
The row comes as First Minister Alex Salmond revealed yesterday that teams of criminals serving community service would help with the winter effort in the Lothians over the weekend.
And Mr Turley confirmed that four private firms had also been contracted to provide a "small army" of around 100 staff to help grit the streets, as revealed in the Evening News yesterday.
However he said the Capital was better placed than many other cities to tackle the cold weather, despite using around 500 tonnes of grit each day. With supplies running dangerously low, Edinburgh has rejected requests from Fife and Midlothian councils to borrow some of their stockpile.
While Glasgow and Aberdeen have managed to grit more than 50 per cent of their road network daily, Edinburgh has not revealed how much of the city has been tackled. According to the Met Office, Edinburgh has had around 9cm of snow since the cold snap began, compared to 6cm in Glasgow.
Mr Turley added: "Roads come first and pavements second. The city is still moving and we've had no road closures, and 98 per cent of public transport is operating".
Meanwhile, business leaders have warned that the freezing weather is costing Edinburgh millions in lost productivity.
Graham Birse, deputy chief executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said the wintry conditions meant many firms were facing a 20-25 per cent reduction in efficiency due to difficulties with absenteeism and travel disruption. No-one from the Unite union, which represents the city's bin men, could be contacted for comment.
Edinburgh Evening News
