TRADE unionists from Unite, Unison, GMB and EIS stood shoulder to shoulder with housing and community campaigners today, united in opposition to cuts to Edinburgh City Council.

Anti-cuts protesters converged on the city chambers to demand a better deal from the SNP-Green Scottish government, as councillors prepared to meet and agree how to fill a £70 million black hole in the city’s finances.

City of Edinburgh Unite branch convener Graham Smith told the Star: “Council workers make up one of the biggest industrial sectors in Scotland and they have suffered 15 years of real-terms cuts.

“This year the council is budgeting for a 3 per cent pay rise which is totally unacceptable and just invites further industrial action.

“In Edinburgh, we’ve got 5,000 families in homeless accomodation, we’ve got a housing crisis, we’ve got a crisis in social care, and we’ve got a crisis in recruitment and retention in some of the most valuable jobs that our communities need.

“We’re here today to call attention to that and to call on the Scottish government to provide proper funding for local government.”