Two unions are set to decide whether to accept a pay offer made in a bid to halt strikes among council waste and recycling workers.

Unite and GMB are considering a deal described by Cosla as “strong, fair and credible”.

Unison, the biggest union representing workers, rejected the package on Friday and said it put “absolutely no more money on the table”.

The majority of Scotland’s 32 councils are set to be affected by the action, which union officials have warned will lead to rubbish piling up on the streets.

The deal would have seen workers receive a blanket 3.2% rise for a one-year period between 1 April this year and 31 March 2025.

Cosla said it was higher than the rate of inflation and worth more than the first year of the Scottish government’s pay policy elsewhere in the public sector.

But Unison argued negotiations had “not moved one iota” since it informed the body it would move towards strike action.

They described Cosla’s previous offer, which would have seen staff receive a 2.2% increase from 1 April and 2% from 1 October, as “inadequate”.

Unison said members in 13 councils in Scotland had voted to strike and it will be balloting 38,000 school, early years and family centre staff this week.

But Unite and GMB took the weekend to consider their position and both are expected to announce a decision on Monday.

Councillor Katie Hagmann, Cosla’s resources spokeswoman, said the body was “disappointed” Unison rejected the offer hours after it was made.

She added: “We have been clear in all discussions with trade unions that the offer is also at the very limit of affordability for councils given the challenging financial situation we are facing.

“We must respect all our trade union colleagues and wait to hear from both GMB and Unite allowing time for their committees to meet before making any further comment.”

In 2022 waste workers walked out in Edinburgh for 12 days during the city’s festival season in 2022, leading to mounds of rubbish littering the streets.

That was followed by similar action in Glasgow and a further 18 of Scotland’s 32 council areas, lasting until the end of August.

Public Health Scotland was forced to declare a health warning due to the accumulation of waste in urban areas.

An agreement was eventually reached on 2 September, but only after an intervention from then-first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

A Scottish government spokesperson urged all parties to get back round the negotiating table and find a way of making the deal work.

They added: “While we respect workers’ rights, no one’s interests are served by industrial action, which will harm communities and people.

“The Scottish government urges all parties involved to work together constructively and reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers.”