A significant strike of bin collection services occurred in Blantyre in February and March 1926.
On Friday 26th February 1926, a meeting took place of the Middle Ward District Committee of the County Council of Lanark.
Mr Manus Duddy called attention to the strike of dustmen and carters at Blantyre. He declared that these men had been on strike for the past three or four days, and with every cart going out at present there were two or three policemen to guard the dustcarts. The position had become serious, because there were not enough men to carry on the scavenging of the town and rubbish was piling high. He alleged that the wages were not according to the Trade Union agreement.
The whole town was up in arms, and two people had been lodged in prison for their insistence on something should be done. The Committee decided not to intervene until they received fuller information, but the strike was resolved a week later.
From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2017