Glasgow council and Unison reach pay deal, averting mass fire-and-rehire

Agreement protects pay for three years for staff facing cuts; union to ballot members

By LineZotpaper

Published6 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Glasgow city council has reached a pay and grading agreement with the Unison trade union, averting one of the UK's largest ever fire-and-rehire exercises that would have affected 23,000 non-teaching staff. The deal, confirmed on 5 October 2026, protects pay for three years for the 11% of workers who would have faced wage cuts under the original proposal.

Glasgow city council has reached an agreement with the Unison trade union over pay and grading, averting one of the UK's biggest ever fire-and-rehire exercises. The deal comes after negotiations between the council and unions GMB, Unite and Unison previously broke down when Unison refused to ballot its members on a new pay and grading system designed to resolve historical equal pay issues.

The collapse of talks had prompted the council to contact 23,000 workers, its entire non-teaching staff, at the end of last month to inform them they were at risk of being dismissed and reappointed, many on less favourable terms. The move led to significant backlash from opposition parties, unions and council employees.

The original proposal that led Unison to walk out would have resulted in wage cuts for 11% of staff, but on Monday the council agreed to protect their pay for three years.

Unison said many issues remained unresolved and that negotiations would continue, but that it would ballot its members this month. The council has agreed to continue negotiating on issues including the equality impacts of the new pay structure.

Ricky Bell, the leader of Glasgow city council, said he was “delighted that we have been able to reach agreement with Unison” and “remove the unpalatable prospect of fire-and-rehire”. He described the deal as “a strong and fair deal” and noted that GMB and Unite had already agreed to take it to their members. Bell emphasised there was no further money to come as part of the package but thanked the Scottish government for additional support to help unlock the agreement.

Chris Sermanni, Unison’s Glasgow city branch secretary, said: “Unison stood firm because Glasgow’s workers deserved better than what was originally put on the table. That position has secured significant movement. There’s now a path for Unison members to give their verdict without the immediate threat of dismissal and re-engagement hanging over them.” The ballot will last four weeks, with a timeline to be laid out in the coming days.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The deal averts a large-scale fire-and-rehire plan that would have affected 23,000 council workers, setting a potential precedent for public sector negotiations across the UK.
It provides temporary pay protection for the 11% of staff who would have seen wage cuts, though broader equal pay issues remain unresolved.
The outcome of the upcoming Unison ballot will determine whether the agreement is accepted or negotiations continue.

Background

The dispute stems from Glasgow city council's long-running efforts to resolve historical equal pay claims. Fire-and-rehire is a controversial practice in which employers dismiss workers and rehire them on new, often less favourable, terms. The council had planned to use this approach after talks with Unison collapsed, but the new deal removes that immediate threat.

Key Perspectives

Unison: The union stood firm and secured significant concessions, including pay protection for three years and continued negotiations on equality impacts. It will now ballot its members without the threat of dismissal hanging over them. Glasgow city council (Ricky Bell): The council leader welcomed the agreement as a strong and fair deal that removes the fire-and-rehire option. He emphasised no extra funding was involved and thanked the Scottish government for support. GMB and Unite: Both unions had already agreed to take the proposal to their members, suggesting broader union support, though Unison's concerns were more deeply held. Skeptics and remaining issues: Unison has stated that many issues remain unresolved, and the equality impacts of the pay structure are still under negotiation. Some workers may ultimately still face changes if the ballot fails.

What to Watch

The outcome of the Unison ballot, due within four weeks.
Further negotiations over the equal pay implications of the new grading system.
Whether other councils in the UK facing similar equal pay disputes attempt fire-and-rehire or learn from Glasgow's approach.

Sources

Glasgow city council reaches pay deal with union to avert fire-and-rehire plan — UK news | The Guardian