Glasgow ‘fire and rehire’ plans dropped following trade union deal

The local authority said last month that it was poised to dismiss all non-teaching staff and issue new contracts next year in order to end its current pay and grading structure lawfully.

The council had said that it was pursuing the scheme after UNISON failed to agree to ballot its members on the proposed pay structure. Glasgow said that trade unions Unite and GMB had already pledged to ballot their members.

However, the council and UNISON have since reached an agreement with the help of the Scottish Government that will see council staff secure three years’ pay protection.

Commenting on the turnaround, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Jenny Gilruth MSP, said: "I have been involved in intensive discussions in recent weeks, and this is the result of lengthy and detailed negotiations between Glasgow City Council, Unite, GMB and Unison.”

She added: "The revised proposal, facilitated by additional financial support from the Scottish Government, enables the council to end pay discrimination and protect all staff from any reduction in their pay until April 2030."

She said that no dismissal letters will be issued, "and there is no prospect of fire and rehire".

Council leader Ricky Bell confirmed that the deal removes the prospect of fire and rehire and said that the proposals will be put to members in a ballot later this month.

He added: "Both GMB and Unite have already agreed to take it to their members and, with UNISON now engaging with its membership, we are moving closer to the outcome we have always wanted to achieve: ending pay discrimination in Glasgow City Council once and for all."

UNISON have meanwhile said that important issues remain unresolved and negotiations will continue before members vote. These include questions over further investment to address detriment and the position of workers whose jobs have still not been evaluated.

Glasgow City UNISON branch secretary Chris Sermanni said: “Staff will have three years’ pay protection and further commitments around workers facing detriment.

“There’s now a path for UNISON members to give their verdict without the immediate threat of dismissal and re-engagement hanging over them."

He added: “Importantly though, this isn’t UNISON’s acceptance of the pay and grading package and the fight for improvements isn’t over.

“Thousands of workers are owed substantial and long-overdue increases and we want them to receive every penny. At the same time, other workers face significant losses and some still don’t even know their final outcome.

“The period ahead will be used to keep fighting to give the whole workforce the information they need to make their decision. Ultimately, it will be UNISON members who decide.”

Adam Carey