A potentially embarrassing strike by rubbish collectors and street cleaners during the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow has been averted after a last-minute pay offer was made on Friday evening. Thousands of council workers, including rubbish collectors, school janitors and cleaners across the city were to go on strike starting on 1 November as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions, raising the prospect of streets overflowing with refuse as the eyes of the world turn to Glasgow. The Scottish local authority umbrella body, Cosla, made a new pay offer to council trade unions, proposing a one-year 5.89% increase for the lowest-paid council staff, as part of a £1,062 rise for all staff earning below £25,000. In response, the GMB union suspended the strikes that were due to start on Monday for a two-week consultation with members. The union’s Drew Duffy said: “While we are pleased that more money for key workers has been found at the 11th hour, the fact it’s taken to the brink of the Cop to get this offer speaks volumes to our members. “For months, Cosla said they couldn’t pay, and ministers said they wouldn’t pay, while staff have been attacked by political leaders for standing up for their services and value.” Despite assurances from Glasgow city council’s Scottish National party leadership that staff are working “round the clock” to ready the city, there have been significant concerns about the impact of the waste crisis on international visitors, with reduced rubbish collections resulting in rat infestation and a surge in fly-tipping. Earlier on Friday, the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, met cleansing workers near the site of the conference, where he was shown evidence of fly-tipped rubbish and overflowing bins. Sarwar challenged the Scottish government to meet its local obligations as well as global ones being discussed at the conference. “If we can’t meet a simple obligation of people’s rubbish being collected, for them to live in safe, secure and clean environments and not have rats running about the streets, then I’m sorry – that’s frankly letting them down and I’m not willing to let that happen.”