GLASGOW COUNCIL FIRE-AND-REHIRE PLAN THREATENS 23,000 WORKERS

Glasgow City Council has begun issuing fire-and-rehire notices to around 23,000 non-teaching staff after talks with the GMB, Unison and Unite unions broke down over a new pay and grading system, according to the council and the unions. The system is intended to resolve historical pay equality issues, but Unison refused to ballot its members on an offer that it said would mean pay cuts for 11% of council employees. The fire-and-rehire process was paused earlier this week when Unison returned to negotiations, then collapsed again midweek. Council leader Ricky Bell said Unison members could still face being fired and rehired while negotiations continued with the GMB and Unite. Unison said it was seeking legal advice on whether treating its members differently from members of other unions was lawful.

An emergency motion by Green councillors to halt the scheme was rejected by the council's City Administration Committee on Thursday. Glasgow Greens co-leader Anthony Carroll said the city was "facing a genuine cliff-edge of one of the largest fire-and-rehire schemes in the UK being implemented" and called on Bell to rule out the move. Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth reaffirmed the Scottish government's position that fire-and-rehire "does not align with the principles and expected practice of fair work." Separately, a Freedom of Information request reported that 23 senior council staff received promotions, temporary promotions or salary regradings between 2023 and 2026, with those on grade 11 or above earning more than £100,000 a year. The council said the new pay and grading scheme applies to staff at all grades, including senior roles, and that recent promotions were a separate process. Councillor Paul Carey said some constituents were "genuinely frightened" about potential annual losses of thousands of pounds.

Gilruth chaired mediation talks between the council and Unison on Friday, securing a further pause in the fire-and-rehire process for the weekend. Unison said the practice must be taken off the table permanently for negotiations to be "productive and in good faith." Neither side has confirmed what happens if talks collapse again once the pause ends. Union representatives said affected workers had been left angry and uncertain by the week's developments.