Two unions must decide whether to accept a pay offer made in an attempt to end strikes among waste and recycling workers.
Unite and GMB are considering a deal described by Cosla as “strong, fair and credible”.
Unison, the largest union representing workers, rejected the plan on Friday and said it put “absolutely no more money on the table”.
The deal would have given workers a general pay increase of 3.2 percent over a one-year period, from April 1 this year to March 31, 2025.
Cosla said the amount was above the rate of inflation and was worth more than the first year of the Scottish Government’s pay policy elsewhere in the public sector.
They described as “inadequate” Cosla’s previous offer, which would have seen staff receive a 2.2% pay rise from April 1 and a 2% pay rise from October 1.
Unison said members of 13 councils in Scotland had voted to strike and would hold a vote among 38,000 staff in schools, early years centres and family centres this week.
But Unite and GMB have used the weekend to consider their positions and are both expected to announce a decision on Monday.
Cosla resources spokeswoman Councillor Katie Hagmann said the body was “disappointed” that Unison rejected the offer within hours of it being made.
She added: “We have been clear in all discussions with unions that the offer is also at the limit of what councils can afford, given the difficult financial situation we face.
“We must respect all our union colleagues and await responses from GMB and Unite, allowing time for their committees to meet, before making further comments.”
In 2022, waste workers in Edinburgh went on strike for 12 days during the city’s festival season, leaving mounds of rubbish littering the streets.
This was followed by similar action in Glasgow and 18 other of Scotland’s 32 administrative areas, which lasted until the end of August.
Public Health Scotland has been forced to issue a health warning due to the build-up of waste in urban areas.
A deal was finally reached on September 2, but only after intervention by then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
A Scottish Government spokesperson urged all parties to return to the negotiating table and find a way to make the deal work.
They added: “While we respect workers’ rights, no one’s interests are served by industrial action, which will harm communities and individuals.
“The Scottish Government urges all parties involved to work together constructively and achieve a deal that is fair for workers and affordable for employers.”
