After talks with three unions collapsed, Glasgow council has begun issuing notices that could sack and reappoint about 23,000 non-teaching workers on less favourable terms under a new pay and grading plan.
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Published 5 Oct 2026
Glasgow City Council has started issuing letters that could lead to the dismissal and reappointment of roughly 23,000 non-teaching staff under a contested pay and grading exercise, the Guardian reports.
The council and three unions — GMB, Unison and Unite — had been negotiating a new pay and grading system that the council says is intended to address historical pay equality issues. Those talks broke down last week, and the council has moved to begin the formal process of changing contracts, which is commonly described as "fire-and-rehire."
Unison declined to ballot its members on the offer presented during the negotiations. According to the Guardian, the union said the package would leave about 11% of council employees worse off. The breakdown in talks has prompted the council to start issuing letters to affected staff.
The move could affect all of the council's non-teaching workforce and represents one of the largest use of fire-and-rehire tactics reported in the UK. Officials framed the proposed pay and grading system as a measure designed to resolve long-standing pay inequality, but unions dispute the package and its impact on members' take-home pay.
The use of dismissal-and-reappointment processes has become a flashpoint in British labour relations, drawing scrutiny from unions and political figures concerned about job security and pay protections for large numbers of public-sector staff. In Glasgow's case, the scale of the action — involving about 23,000 workers — makes it especially significant for the city's services and workforce morale.
Sources agree that negotiations involved Glasgow City Council and the unions GMB, Unison and Unite, and that the council has begun issuing letters to staff affected by proposed contractual changes. There is agreement in the reporting that the new grading proposal aims to address historical pay equality issues.
The Guardian reports that Unison refused to put the council's offer to a member ballot because it would leave roughly 11% of employees worse off. Details about how many staff would see specific reductions, the timetable for dismissals and reappointments, and any legal or political responses that may follow were not provided in the available reports.
As the council proceeds with its issuance of letters, further engagement between the council and the unions, potential ballots, and elected representatives' interventions could follow. The situation may also prompt industrial action or legal challenges depending on how negotiations develop and on any formal notices served to staff.
For now, the immediate consequence is that thousands of Glasgow's non-teaching employees face an uncertain period as the council seeks to implement a new pay and grading structure intended to tackle pay equality but opposed by unions on grounds of potential pay reductions for a portion of the workforce.
This story was written from reports by these outlets. Read the originals:
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