Glasgow City Council Pauses Fire and Rehire of 23,000 Staff

Glasgow City Council paused plans to dismiss and rehire approximately 23,000 non-teaching staff on September 25, following interventions by the Scottish Government and trade unions. The council had initially announced it would force staff onto new contracts by January 1 after talks broke down with the Unite, GMB, and Unison unions over a long-running equal pay dispute.

The council claimed the move was necessary because Unison refused to ballot its members on a new offer. Under the proposed pay and grading scheme, 65% of staff would receive increases, while 11% would face wage reductions. Unison argued that staff should not be forced into a "shoddy deal" and insisted on concluding discussions before balloting.

Following a meeting with the Scottish Government and the three unions, the council agreed to a pause to allow for intensive negotiations and the reconsideration of an Acas package. Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth stated that the Scottish Government opposes the use of fire and rehire, asserting it does not align with fair work principles. Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra condemned the initial tactic as "despicable," noting that the UK Labour Government intends to make the practice illegal starting January 1, 2027.

Negotiations are scheduled to reconvene the following week to seek a collective agreement on a pay scheme that unions claim must be free from discrimination.