Readers' letters: Edinburgh’s Disgrace moves to street level

Locals and visitors do not need to climb Calton Hill to see Edinburgh's Disgrace, it is in every road, pavement and gutter in Edinburgh city centre.

It is an absolute disgrace that the Capital City which is bursting at the seams, with visitors from near and far, should be awash with litter and refuse. It won't be too long before the vermin make their presence felt.

The council had more than enough notice of this industrial action by the refuse workers and they decided to hide behind the excuse that its COSLA and Scottish Government to blame.

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All councillors of every political party were elected to look after this city, surely they cannot allow this disgrace to continue. Hundreds of thousands of visitors have paid through the nose for their accomodation, they deserve better than having to wade through mountains of rubbish to catch a show or go to the Tattoo.

Our city’s reputation could suffer permanent damage if this is not sorted now.

Ronald Arthur, Edinburgh.

Kevin Lang misses key facts on Cosla

Cllr Kevin Lang (News, 22 August) forgot to mention that the SNP councillors on Cosla proposed a 5 per cent pay deal for council workers on August 12 but were outvoted by Labour and Tory councillors who put through the 3.5 per cent offer, so they are responsible for the rubbish on Edinburgh’s streets.

It was only on the casting vote of the SNP Cosla leader that a 5 per cent offer plus an uplift to the living wage to £10.50 an hour was agreed last Friday.

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Despite what a union official claimed on TV, this would make the lowest paid council worker in Scotland better off than their English counterpart under the deal proposed in England.

Kevin Lang also fails to understand that the Scottish government’s block grant for this year was fixed by the Treasury in London long before the UK cost of living crisis or that under devolution the Scottish government is legally obliged to balance its books each year with virtually no borrowing powers to deal with inflation.

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh.

Scottish councils need higher funding

SNP Government have eventually promised to release money from mounting reserves allowing Scottish councils to offer refuse workers a higher increase in wages.

One problem locally with paying refuse workers a decent increase is the continued lack of proper funding for Edinburgh council. Edinburgh is the lowest funded council, and the money distributed to Edinburgh will see it receiving the lowest proportion.

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With the differences in cost of living across council areas, workers in Edinburgh should be paid higher wages to reflect higher costs here. That would require SNP Gov to properly fund Edinburgh.

There is little chance of this as SNP MSPs have refused to meet the leader of Edinburgh council to explain why Edinburgh is unfairly treated.

Alastair Murray, Edinburgh.

Health hazard

Today I had to get a taxi to the city. Horrified isn't the word at the utter chaos and rubbish due to the refuse workers strike over pay.

How could the council leave Edinburgh subject to this when we are hosting tourists from all over the world who are here for the Fringe, Tattoo etc? Apart from an invitation to rats and other rodents let alone disease, this is humiliating for the city.

Elaine Pomeransky, Edinburgh.

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