Talks to end Scotland's bin strikes resume today as industrial action spreads to more areas across the country.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney met unions and council body Cosla yesterday, after pay negotiations broke down on Wednesday.

Further discussions between councils and unions ended without agreement late last night.

Staff providing waste and recycling services for Aberdeen City Council walked out on Wednesday, and they will be joined by colleagues at Aberdeenshire Council today.

Refuse workers in Edinburgh are midway through a two-week strike that has left bins overflowing on the streets.

Mr Swinney has described the bin situation in the capital as already being "deeply concerning" for public health, with visitors to the city's arts festival speaking of their shock at the piles of waste lying next to overflowing public bins.

He said the latest round of talks were aimed at ensuring there was "intense dialogue" around resolving the dispute, adding: "I do hope that leads to substantive progress.

In the interests of many groups

"It is in the interests of members of staff who want certainty about their pay, and also it is in the interest of local authorities and members of the public to have public services restored.

"So I would encourage everybody to engage in that dialogue and the government will do what it can to be helpful".

The BBC says there would be no additional Scottish Government money to help fund a council pay deal, but it is looking at what else it can do to help. This could include freeing up more of the money councils get from the government to support a better pay offer.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said its members had been "failed miserably" by politicians.

She added: "For five months Cosla and the Scottish Government have dithered and bickered with each other while our members have increasingly faced a cost-of-living crisis.

"We will fully support them in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions."

Cosla said the unions had rejected a pay offer earlier this week that would have meant the lowest paid 12% of council workers would get a pay increase of more than 5%.

It has also said the latest pay offer amounts to "one of, if not the best offer in decades for Scottish local government workers" with some workers getting an overall 7.36% increase.

Below are the latest strike dates at Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils:

Unite - until August 31

Aberdeen

Unite - September 6 to 13

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Unison - August 26 to 29 and September 7 to 10

Aberdeenshire

GMB - August 26 to 29 and September 7 to 10

Aberdeen

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