Organisers of a mass trade union meeting in Dumbarton say it's time for local workers to fight back - and urged West Dunbartonshire Council to put a stop to planned service cuts.

Tom Morrison from the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) insists that public support is spreading against the government as the cost-of-living crisis bites ever harder.

Members of the GMB, Unison and Unite trade unions are holding a joint meeting next week to show solidarity to workers fighting for a fairer pay deal after strikes by many public sector employees across Scotland and the UK.

Nurses, ambulance staff, teachers and posties are among those to have taken industrial action in recent months in pursuit of better pay deals.

The first of two meetings in West Dunbartonshire will take place at Dumbarton's Concord Community Centre on Wednesday, February 15 and will feature speakers such as RMT national president Alex Gordon, Eddie Cassidy from Unite and West Dunbartonshire Community Party councillor Jim Bollan.

A similar event in Clydebank will feature Roz Foyer of the STUC on the night of February 16.

Mr Morrison told the Reporter: “People are just sick of the corruption at the top level.

“Ordinary people suffering right now, especially with the price of fuel and food rocketing.

“So many people are suffering yet you’ve got the corruption of tax evasion and super profits getting made.”

West Dunbartonshire is currently facing an anticipated funding shortfall of around £21m in the coming year and a range of saving options which will reduce services and costs have and are being developed by officers in response to this.

However, the meeting flyer states: “We need political as well as industrial resistance though there is little sign of that from the politicians in West Dunbartonshire Council as they take the easy options of cutting services rather than fighting back alongside the trade unions and their communities.”

Mr Morrison added: “The lack of fight from the council; we’ve raised it with them over a period of time.

“But there is actually no fightback, they just accept the cuts are put forward to them by the senior officers.”

The meeting will start at 7pm and all are welcome to attend.

The Reporter has contacted council leader Martin Rooney for comment.