Glasgow City Council pauses fire-and-rehire plan for 23,000 workers
Glasgow City Council has paused its plan to fire and rehire more than 20,000 staff after 'constructive discussions' with the Scottish Government and the GMB, Unite and Unison unions on Friday, with further negotiations now to follow.
Glasgow City Council has agreed to pause its plan to fire and rehire more than 20,000 staff after “constructive discussions” with the Scottish Government and the GMB, Unite and Unison unions on Friday (September 25), the Glasgow Times reports.
Workforce convener Cllr Allan Casey said the pause followed a meeting with the Scottish Government and the three unions, “allowing the ACAS package to be put back on the table and creating the space for further intensive negotiations with the joint trade unions”.
He added that the council’s 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”.
The fire-and-rehire move had been announced on Thursday (September 24) after pay talks with Unison broke down, affecting between 22,000 and 24,000 employees. Dismissal letters for all non-teaching staff were to be sent next week, with new contracts taking effect on January 1. Teachers are excluded, covered by a national pay agreement with Cosla.
GMB and Unite had backed putting an offer including an additional £110m to their members, but Unison declined, calling it unfair. The new scheme replaces a pay structure found to discriminate mostly against female workers; around 11% of staff face pay cuts, some of more than £10,000.
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra welcomed the pause but said the “ludicrous threat” should be taken “off the table entirely”.
Sources
More on this topic: all UK Broadband stories