Both sides must ‘get around table’ in Glasgow fire and rehire dispute – minister

Glasgow City Council and unions must “get around the table” to resolve a pay dispute in which thousands of staff are to be fired and rehired, a minister has said.

Justice secretary Neil Gray said the Scottish Government supported “fair work principles” but did not comment further on the situation faced by council staff.

On Thursday, the local authority 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.

The council 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”. The justice secretary was asked about the dispute when he appeared on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme on Friday.

It was put to him that Nicola Sturgeon had previously described fire and rehire as an “appalling practice”.

Gray said the issue was a matter for local government to negotiate on, adding: “I’ve led enough pay talks in my time to know that people commenting outside do not help those getting round the table.

“So I would encourage all of those involved, all partners, Glasgow City Council and the trade unions involved, to get around the table and to negotiate a solution.”

Asked about Sturgeon’s comments, he said the Scottish Government supports “fair work principles”.

He said the tenets of fair work are clear but did not elaborate further on the situation faced by Glasgow City Council workers.

On Thursday, director of corporate governance Colin Edgar said the council had gone “as far as it can” to resolve the equal pay dispute.

He said: “The offer which has been unilaterally rejected by Unison would have taken dismissals off the table and seen additional cash for those members of staff, and members of all unions, who are due back pay.

“It beggars belief that they would betray their own members in this way.”

Unison Scotland regional organiser Mandy McDowall said earlier: “Glasgow City Council staff are not going to be bounced into a shoddy deal by bosses trying to bully them with arbitrary deadlines.

“Clearly both sides need to keep talking to resolve matters fairly. The council’s decision to dismiss workers helps nobody.”

She added: “For the avoidance of doubt, Unison will ballot its members on an offer once discussions have concluded.”

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.”

Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra said earlier: “It beggars belief that the SNP council is threatening to railroad through fire and rehire before it is made illegal in this country by the UK Labour Government.

“It may not break the letter or the law but it certainly breaks the spirit of it. It’s a despicable way to treat working people. It’s straight out the Tory playbook.

“All parties need to get round the table and hammer out a deal, and working people should never be threatened like this again.”