Full Breakdown
Glasgow Council Resumes Fire-and-Rehire Threat for 23,000 Staff
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Glasgow City Council will restart issuing termination and re-engagement notices to roughly 23,000 non-teaching employees. The letters follow a collapse in talks with the Unison union over a new pay-grading system that would replace a 2006 structure deemed discriminatory against women. Under the proposal, about 11 % of staff would see wages fall, with the highest projected loss around £11,500 per year. The council paused the process on September 25 after Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth intervened, but the pause ended when Unison refused to ballot its members on the latest offer.
Background & Context
In 2019 the council paid more than £500 million to settle equal-pay claims for 8,000 predominantly female workers. A decade of negotiations has left the authority facing a budget shortfall that officials say could lead to insolvency without a new pay structure. The current proposal seeks to harmonise grades across the workforce, but unions argue it would reverse progress on pay equity.
Data & Statistics
- Workforce affected: ~23,000 non-teaching staff (some reports cite up to 25,000).
- Pay impact: 63 % would gain financially; 11 % would lose pay, with losses up to £11,500 annually.
- Notice period: Letters give a 12-week statutory notice, set to expire shortly before fire-and-rehire becomes illegal under upcoming UK employment-law changes.
Official Statements & Responses
Council leader Ricky Bell said the council had added an extra year of pay protection, bringing total protection to two years, but described some of Unison’s remaining demands as “simply unworkable.” He emphasized that the council is working with Unite and GMB to ensure their members are not dismissed. Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth chaired mediation talks that secured the September 25 pause and later urged both sides back to the table, stressing the need for a “good-faith” resolution. The GMB union said it will continue engaging on improvements and will ballot its members once discussions conclude.
Criticism & Opposition
Unison’s Glasgow branch warned that the fire-and-rehire threat must be removed permanently for negotiations to be productive.
On-the-Ground Reports
A council employee told reporters the process had been “handled terribly,” adding that uncertainty makes it impossible to plan for the future. Councillor Paul Carey highlighted that senior staff earn over £100,000 while lower-grade workers could lose “thousands of pounds a year,” describing the cuts as “life-changing.” Community groups noted that the affected workers include school cleaners, care assistants and street-maintenance crews who keep daily city services running.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact number of staff targeted: most cite 23,000, while some mention “up to 25,000.” The timeline for when fire-and-rehire will become illegal is referenced only as “shortly before January,” without a specific date. No public figure has quantified the exact budget shortfall that prompted the council’s proposal, leaving the financial urgency somewhat opaque.
What’s Next
Deputy First Minister Gilruth has pledged continued mediation, and labor-relations experts warn that the dispute could become a landmark test of fire-and-rehire tactics in the UK public sector.