The pause in Glasgow City Council's threat to fire and rehire 23,000 workers has ended after talks with the Unison union collapsed.
Scotland's largest local authority threatened to sack non-teaching staff last week and hire them back on new contracts following the breakdown of talks with unions over a controversial new pay deal. The threat was paused on Friday after the Scottish Government stepped in following a furious backlash.
But Glasgow City Council said today that Unison is refusing to put the offer to its members in a ballot, and talks have broken down. The council said that as a result the pause in the issuing of letters to Unison members has now ended, although it is working with the Unite and GMB unions to ensure that their members are not dismissed and reengaged.
Council leader's disappointment
Glasgow City Council leader Councillor Ricky Bell said: “I’m deeply disappointed that, despite the Council putting a further year of pay protection on the table, Unison has once again chosen not to put this offer to its members.
“Taken together with the improvements made since August, this represents a package well over a hundred million in extra pay for our staff. We listened carefully throughout these negotiations and went the extra mile to address concerns and improve the offer. However, some of the remaining demands were simply unworkable.
“In particular, proposals for additional allowances would in fact have had a detrimental impact on some employees. We had paused the issue of letters to our staff to allow space for further discussion.
Working with other unions
“Although Unison’s actions bring that pause to an end, we are working with Unite and GMB to ensure that their members are not dismissed and reengaged. We will have detailed discussions with these unions from Thursday morning to finalise these details.
“I am disappointed that Unison members have been denied the opportunity to have their say on a deal which would have delivered significant improvements for many employees, additional protections for those facing detriment, and a clear route to finally ending pay discrimination in Glasgow.
“This is an understandably difficult and uncertain time for staff, and support will continue to be available through the Council for those directly affected by this decision.”
Political reaction
It comes after Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander told the Labour conference in Liverpool over the weekend that the SNP should "hang their head in shame".
He said: “Just last Thursday, the SNP-led Glasgow City Council attempted to fire and rehire more than 20,000 of their employees. This is happening not in 1926, conference, but 2026. The SNP should hang their heads in shame.
“Let us be very clear from Liverpool – fire and rehire is a pernicious policy that is a scandalous way to treat any worker. So I give you this pledge today: In just a matter of months, it will have been outlawed by this Labour Government.”
Unison has been approached by the Press Association for comment.
