Council bosses in Glasgow have said they "feel sick" about their plans to fire and rehire 23,000 workers across the city, with a spokesperson blaming Unison for the decision to force workers onto new contracts.
Colin Edgar, director of communications and governance at Glasgow City Council, said the city was in a "hellish situation" and that it was not too late to reverse the decision as he urged unions to get around the table.
Letters will be sent to non-teaching staff next week, with new contracts taking effect from January 1.
Pay and grading overhaul
The council has been in negotiations with unions over its plans to implement a new pay and grading system after the previous one was found to discriminate mostly against female workers.
Pay for most staff will stay the same or rise. However, around 11% will see their wages cut, with some by more than £10,000.
Speaking to the Press Association at George Square, Mr Edgar said the council did not take the decision lightly.
"It's extremely difficult," he said. "It's a hellish situation and nobody wants to do this. In the past, when Glasgow City Council has dismissed (workers) and re-engaged them, we have not done it lightly, and we haven't taken this decision lightly."
"We absolutely do not want to do this. Two of our trade unions were together with us on a plan to not do this. One of them was not, and it's really important that we get back around the table and agree what to do."
Union blame and response
He added: "The senior leadership of the council and the politicians who are working to remove our discriminatory pay rating scheme feel sick about having to do this."
Asked whether strikes were possible, Mr Edgar said he could not "predict" what trade unions would do but said he "understands how upset they are and why they are so upset".
Mr Edgar urged unions to get "back round the table" with the council to avoid the fire and rehire plans. Asked if he blamed Unison for the situation facing workers, he said: "Yes."
On Thursday, Glasgow City Council said that talks to resolve a long-running equal pay dispute with the Unite, GMB and Unison unions had broken down. It said that in order to end the current pay arrangements, all non-teaching staff would be dismissed and rehired under new contracts, which would take effect from January 1.
Mr Edgar said this move was in response to Unison refusing to ballot its members on a new offer. However, Unison has said it will "ballot its members on an offer once discussions have concluded" and argued that staff must not be "bounced into a shoddy deal".
Union and political reaction
Mr Edgar said that without agreement from Unison, Unite and GMB, fire and rehire was the only way forward. "What that has meant is we have no option but to dismiss and re-engage our staff," he said. But he added: "There is absolutely time to reverse this. If we can get back around the table, if we can get collective agreement from our three unions then the council will withdraw these dismissal notices."
Sylvia Haughney, Glasgow education convener at Unison, said the council's claims that it was to blame for the situation were "misleading" and "false".
She told the PA news agency: "Glasgow City Council have put themselves in this position about fire and rehire. They do not need to do that. That's their choice to do it, and it's just shocking and disgraceful that they have decided to do that to over 23,000 employees."
"That's just utterly deplorable for a council to do that, and that was absolutely their choice to do it." She said the policy of fire and rehire was "utterly immoral", "shockingly deplorable" and that most of the staff receiving pay cuts were women.
Ms Haughney said the council was offering workers a "shoddy deal", adding: "This deal does not address the detriment to what our members are facing. We can't put that ballot to our members until we get a better offer, a better proposal for those who are facing detriment."
"We are willing to meet with the council to discuss further offers that they could put in place, and we will ballot our members, but not until we get a better offer."
Justice Secretary Neil Gray has urged the council and the unions to "get around the table". Unite industrial officer Graham McNabb said: "Glasgow City Council must remove direct threats to our membership in its proposed new pay and grading structure whether it is through cuts to terms and conditions, or the scandalous threat of fire and rehire tactics. If they go down this reckless path then it will be met with the full force of Unite."
