Unite the Union has said the threat to fire and rehire 23,000 Glasgow City Council (GCC) workers “should never have escalated to this” after the Scottish Government intervened in the long-running equal pay dispute. The council announced on Friday evening it had reached an understanding after discussions, agreeing to halt the threat to sack thousands of non-teaching staff.
Talks to resume next week
Talks are expected to resume next week over outstanding issues. The row escalated on Thursday when bosses claimed they would terminate the employment of non-teaching staff and rehire them on new contracts from January 1 unless trade unions agreed to ballot their members on a new pay offer.
The fire-and-rehire tactic will soon be made illegal by the UK Government, and there was uproar that council chiefs would resort to such a move. The Scottish Government stepped in when Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth held talks with Unite, GMB and Unison and the local authority.
Union reaction
Susan Fitzgerald, Unite Scottish Secretary, welcomed the intervention but said the threat should never have been allowed to reach that stage. She said: “Unite welcomes the Scottish Government’s intervention convening talks involving all relevant parties at Glasgow City Council.
“Unite was crystal clear that the scandalous fire and rehire threat facing workers had to be lifted in order for meaningful talks to resume. The immediate threat has now been lifted, and that it is a welcome development, but it should never have escalated to this unacceptable and highly regrettable stage.
“Talks will reconvene next week on the outstanding issues with a view to finding a breakthrough.”
Council and government response
GCC is trying to resolve the equal pay dispute, which threatens to effectively bankrupt the council unless resolved by the end of March. Workforce convener Councillor Allan Casey said: “I’m pleased that we’ve reached a position following a meeting with the Scottish Government and the three unions where a pause has been agreed, allowing the Acas package to be put back on the table and creating the space for further intensive negotiations with the joint trade unions.
“Our goal remains clear: to secure collective agreement on a new pay and grading scheme that is free from discrimination and can be put to the workforce in a ballot. Both I and the wider council leadership remain fully committed to working with trade unions and staff to deliver a fairer and more sustainable pay structure for the future.”
In response, a STUC spokesperson, on behalf of unions Unite, Unison and GMB, said: “We are pleased at the lifting of the threat of fire and rehire and that meaningful negotiations will take place next week. We also welcome the Scottish Government’s clear statement that the practice of fire and rehire does not align with the principles and expected practice of fair work.”
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth added: “I am pleased that Glasgow City Council has agreed to pause the process of dismissing staff so that all partners can get back around the table for intensive negotiations to focus on bringing a resolution to this dispute.
“Given the significance of this situation and the impact on staff, I wanted to bring all parties together to make clear that I expect negotiations between the council and unions to continue so that a collective agreement can be reached and bring an end to discriminatory pay practices.
“My expectation is that all parties act in line with the principles of fair work and continue to exhaust all avenues for collective agreement. The Scottish Government opposes the inappropriate use of fire and rehire and our position is that such a practice does not align with the principles and expected practice of fair work.”
