Council decisions were ‘disastrous’
CHRIS Mitchell of the GMB says a solution must be found to Glasgow’s rats problem – and claims reversing some damaging policies would be a start. He told the Record a decision in 2021 to start charging for the uplift of bulky waste had seen streets flooded with fly-tipping from residents and businesses. Mitchell also questioned the wisdom of switching to three-weekly bin collections, which he said was leading to overflowing bins attracting vermin. He said: “Some of the policy changes – moving to a three-weekly bin collection, charging for bulk uplift which led people to start flytipping en masse because they couldn’t afford it – have been disastrous. “These are all things that have been a major factor in what’s been happening across the city.” Mitchell said all these moves came back to chronic underfunding of local authorities by the Scottish Government – with Glasgow councillors opting to cut waste and cleansing services to save cash. Glasgow City Council faces a £100million shortfall in its budget over the next three years. Mitchell said investment in local services – or failing that, a ring-fencing of the cleansing budget to protect it from future cuts – is desperately needed. He added: “Pest control has been cut, environmental health has been cut, cleansing has been decimated. We’ve got inadequate facilities and inadequate equipment not fit for purpose. “It takes us months, sometimes up to a year, to replace refuse collectors when they retire, if they’re paid off with ill health or dismissed from the service. “We’re struggling on a daily basis.”