Glasgow council pauses fire-and-rehire threat to 23,000 staff

• The council agreed not to issue fire-and-rehire notices while union members consider the proposals.
• Workers facing potential losses are being offered three years of pay protection.
• The proposal affects about 23,000 non-teaching staff; reported pay-loss estimates are not settled outcomes for individual workers.
• Unison, GMB and Unite are taking the proposals to members. The ballot result is pending.

The agreement reached on Monday, 5 October, removes the immediate threat of dismissal and re-engagement while Glasgow City Council’s workforce considers a new pay-and-grading system. It is not a settled deal: Unison says it has not accepted the package, and union members will decide whether to back it.¹²

The reported improvement extends pay protection for workers facing losses to three years. Further talks are due on lower-paid staff, allowances, jobs that have not yet been evaluated and how the new pay model will work. The exact terms of the protection—and who qualifies—have not been set out in a complete public agreement.¹³

The change matters to a workforce of about 23,000 non-teaching staff. Earlier reports said around 11% could face lower pay, with some potential losses exceeding £10,000 a year. Those figures describe possible effects of the proposed structure, not a final assessment of what each worker will earn under the latest offer.¹⁴

The dispute centres on replacing a pay system that Glasgow City Council says is discriminatory. The council’s chief executive told staff that the City Administration Committee approved the new structure on 20 August, with implementation planned for 4 April 2027. The council says the change is intended to deliver equal pay for equal work.⁵

The threat escalated in September, when the council said it would serve notice to end existing pay arrangements after collective talks failed. Its 24 September message said notices would go to non-teaching staff and that, without a collective agreement, the council intended to offer continued employment on new terms. The latest agreement pauses that course while members consider the proposal.⁵²

The Scottish Government intervened in the negotiations. Council leader Ricky Bell said its support helped unlock the agreement; Unison branch secretary Chris Sermanni said the improved position gives members a chance to decide without the immediate threat of dismissal and re-engagement. The unions’ members now face the choice: the ballot is expected later in October, but its detailed timetable and result remain pending.¹²

Footnotes

1. STV News, “Improved deal reached after Glasgow City Council fire and rehire scandal”. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. The Independent, “Unison agrees to take new Glasgow council pay deal to members after negotiations”. ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. LocalGov, “Glasgow council reaches equal pay deal with unions”. ↩

4. The Guardian, “Thousands of Glasgow council workers face pay cuts in one of UK’s biggest fire-and-rehire plans”. ↩

5. Glasgow City Council chief executive’s staff update on the Equal Pay Programme, published by Glasgow Life. ↩ ↩²