COUNCIL WORKERS OUTRAGED AT PLANS TO FIRE AND RE-HIRE THEM

By Bill Heaney

Community Party councillor Jim Bollan unleashed a bitter attack on the Labour administration at West Dunbartonshire Council last night.

He accused the Council, which is still led by Cllr Martin Rooney, despite Labour having resigned in the huff when they failed to win the vote for the Provostship, which went to Cllt Karen Murray Connaghan of the SNP.

In the wake of a controversial notifical that workers, including care workers, would have their employment contracts changed with out their consent, Cllr Bollan, pictured right, told The Dumbarton Democrat:

“The Labour Council have sunk to a new low by bullying and blackmailing WDC Council workers into agreeing a new contract with reduced terms.

“Workers are being threatened with termination of their employment if they do not accept the changes made to their holiday entitlement. Is this how Starmer’s Labour Party treats Council Workers?

“This type of intimidation is completely undemocratic and unacceptable. There has been no agreement between managementand Unions on this blatant attack on workers conditions and until there is agreement by both parties, the threatening correspondence being sent to workers should be withdrawn immediately.”

The following letter was sent round all council employees by trade union GMB yesterday:

GMB Scotland in West Dunbartonshire Council: Public Holidays – Individual Variations of Contracts

You may have received or will receive an email from West Dunbartonshire Council regarding reducing your public holiday entitlement.

The council did not make GMB aware of this prior to sending it to you.

The email asks you to indicate whether you are willing to substitute your public holiday entitlement for annual leave.

For workers who are asked to work on public holidays this will mean less take home pay for you and your family.

When the council consulted GMB on this proposal we told them that the members we had engaged with were firmly against this proposal.

The council went on to use the threat of ‘fire and rehire’ in their letter. ‘Fire and rehire’ is an act usually associated with the very worst employers and a way of forcing through changes without consent.

However, it is not just the GMB that do not see ‘fire and rehire’ as a legitimate process, Scottish Government’s position is that ‘such practice does not align with the principles and expected practice of Fair Work’ and the UK Government are in a process of outlawing it.

We would ask that you delay filling in the form requesting your position on accepting/rejecting the variation until we have been able to engage with the council further.

Will we contact you again very shortly to update you.

If you have any questions, please reply to this email or contact your local rep.

GMB Scotland

Some workers responded immediately by taking to social media to vent their anger and dismay at the Council’s most recent action which they claim disrespects their own staff.

Tracy King wrote: “Your email says delay in accepting/rejecting but if there is no response to the proposal by the cut off date then they are accepting that as an accept.”

David Scott, the GMB convener, pictured left, replied: “Yes but it’s wrong.”

Eileen Green Dorrian said: “Surely while the union are questioning the validity of fire and rehire under new contract, the council cannot proceed with this action?”

One comment

Billie says:

February 7, 2025 at 12:12 pm

Council workers are fortunate in that they receive benefits that the majority of workers do not enjoy.

Pension is an example. A recent add for a solicitor crowed that WDC would contribute a minimum of +18% in employer pension contribution.

The same ad crowed about holiday entitlement, public holidays and how after five years employment additional holiday entitlement would be granted.

And then of course there is the six months sick full pay with six months sick time half pay after that.

All great benefits and a pity that not everyone else gets them. As a comparitor the average employer pension contribution across the UK is 4.4%.

No one can blame the unions for getting behind their members for terms and conditions. Better terms and condition for all is what we want. But Scotland, the UK are very much in decline.

That together with the corporate plunder is why we are where we are. Out of Europe, failing to secure trade deals with world, relative decline and a penchant for fighting and funding wars in Ukraine, militarily supporting Israel, deploying the military in actions around the middle east, it’s truly no surprise as to where we are – and council cuts on a poor and frankly very badly run council are just part of the bigger picture.

Better together, Britain’s golden age, we should all enjoy it.

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