Glasgow Council Fire and Rehire Crisis Explodes in Glasgow 2026

Key Points

• More than 20,000 non-teaching staff at Glasgow City Council—totalling between 23,000 and 25,000 workers—are set to be dismissed and rehired under new contracts following the breakdown of pay negotiations.
• The administrative change is scheduled to take effect on New Year’s Day, with formal notification letters due to be sent to affected individuals next week.
• The crisis unfolded after negotiations involving the local authority and trade unions GMB, Unite, and Unison collapsed over a revised pay and grading structure.
• Glasgow City Council stated that GMB and Unite had agreed to ballot members on an enhanced offer that included a substantial cash injection for back pay and removed the prospect of dismissals.
• Unison withdrew its support for the measure, with council officials stating the union provided no substantive reason for the decision, leading to an immediate impasse.
• Trade unions have strongly criticized the move, with Unison describing it as bosses attempting to bully staff with arbitrary deadlines, while Unite warned of potential industrial action.

Glasgow City Council (Glasgow Express) September 25, 2026 — More than 20,000 Glasgow City Council staff will be fired and subsequently rehired under new contracts after talks to resolve a long-running equal pay dispute between the local authority and trade unions collapsed.

As reported by staff journalists across regional and national media outlets, the unprecedented administrative action will impact roughly 23,000 to 25,000 non-teaching employees across Scotland’s largest local authority. In official communications, the council confirmed that all non-teaching personnel—ranging from administrative workers and nursery staff to refuse collectors and chief executive Susanne Millar—will be formally dismissed and reintroduced on revised terms. Individual details regarding the transition are scheduled to land with workers next week, with the structural modifications legally taking effect on New Year’s Day.

Why Did Equal Pay Negotiations Between Glasgow City Council and Trade Unions Collapse?

The breakdown stems from exhaustive negotiations to overhaul a complex and discriminatory pay and grading framework that has shadowed the local authority for decades. Last month, the council’s administration voted to advance a major restructure designed to bring remuneration into compliance with equal pay legislation. While the council estimated that approximately 90% of staff would see their pay rise or remain protected, roughly 11% of the workforce faced potential wage reductions, with some higher-graded positions facing steep individual losses.

As reported by reporters for The Herald, discussions hit a critical roadblock when the council attempted to tie a substantial financial package—including an extra £110 million dedicated to back pay and assimilation—to a collective agreement by all three recognised trade unions. While GMB and Unite agreed to present the revised package to their memberships, Unison declined to ballot its members, prompting the total collapse of the negotiation process.

How Have Council Officials Responded to the Breakdown in Talks?

Placing the responsibility for the collapse squarely on Unison, Colin Edgar, the director of communications and corporate governance for Glasgow City Council, stated that the local authority had exhausted all available options.

As highlighted by political journalists covering the local authority, Colin Edgar stated that the offer rejected by Unison would have completely removed the threat of dismissals. Colin Edgar stated that:

“The offer which has been unilaterally rejected by Unison would have taken dismissals off the table and seen additional cash for those members of staff, and members of all unions, who are due back pay. It beggars belief that they would betray their own members in this way.”

Colin Edgar further noted that if the joint trade unions agreed to ballot members on the enhanced terms, the council would immediately withdraw the dismissal notices. However, in the absence of a collective agreement, Colin Edgar confirmed that staff would be re-engaged on the terms outlined in the recently approved City Administration Committee report, which omit the additional financial enhancements. Colin Edgar described the measure as purely precautionary, noting that the authority values its workforce and wants their service to continue.

What Are the Reactions of Trade Unions and Affected Workers?

The council’s reliance on fire-and-rehire tactics has drawn fierce condemnation from union representatives and political figures alike.

As detailed in reports by broadcast journalists, Mandy McDowall, a regional organiser for Unison Scotland, rejected the council’s approach, stating that staff would not be rushed into a substandard agreement. Mandy McDowall stated that: “Glasgow City Council staff are not going to be bounced into a shoddy deal by bosses trying to bully them with arbitrary deadlines.” Mandy McDowall added:

“Clearly both sides need to keep talking to matters fairly. The council’s decision to dismiss workers helps nobody. Glasgow City Council risks being labelled a pariah employer if it refuses to negotiate in good faith with its staff.”

Similarly, Graham McNabb, an industrial officer for Unite the Union, warned of severe repercussions. As documented by industrial correspondents, Graham McNabb stated that:

“Glasgow City Council must remove direct threats to our membership in its proposed new pay and grading structure, whether it is through cuts to terms and conditions, or the scandalous threat of fire and rehire tactics. If they go down this reckless path, then it will be met with the full force of Unite.”

Individual employees have expressed deep distress over the development. Joanne, a learning support worker with 25 years of service who spoke with regional news reporters, shared her anguish, stating that she left her workplace in tears after learning she faced continuous disappointment regarding her employment terms. Meanwhile, political opposition leaders, including Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra, criticised the administration, arguing that pushing through a fire-and-rehire mechanism runs counter to the spirit of impending national legislative reforms.

Background of the Development

The roots of this crisis stretch back nearly two decades to a monumental equal pay dispute involving Glasgow City Council. For years, low-paid, predominantly female workers—such as school caterers, cleaners, and care workers—discovered they were receiving significantly less compensation than colleagues in traditionally male-dominated roles, such as refuse collectors. This systemic inequality triggered massive legal battles that ultimately cost the local authority roughly £770 million in compensation settlements.

To satisfy statutory requirements and permanently eradicate structural discrimination, the council initiated a multi-year redesign of its grading and pay scales. However, transitioning thousands of employees into a unified structure inevitably created a complex balancing act. While a majority of the workforce stands to benefit from pay increases, a minority—primarily consisting of higher-graded administrative and social work team leaders—face projected wage reductions. Efforts to cushion these cuts through extended pay protection and supplementary cash injections failed to secure universal union backing, culminating in the current administration’s decision to utilize dismissal and re-engagement strategies to unilaterally enforce the structural reform.

Prediction on How This Development Can Affect Council Staff

The execution of a mass fire-and-rehire policy across more than 20,000 public sector workers is poised to trigger profound industrial, financial, and psychological consequences for the Glasgow City Council workforce. In the immediate term, the issuance of formal dismissal notices next week will heighten workplace anxiety, potentially plunging staff morale to historic lows and severely straining the operational delivery of essential municipal services.

If major trade unions like Unite follow through on threats of industrial action, residents across Glasgow could face severe disruptions in local government services, ranging from social care coordination to waste collection and school support functions. Furthermore, the polarization between Unison and sibling unions GMB and Unite threatens to fracture worker solidarity, complicating any future collective bargaining.

From a financial standpoint, employees facing potential salary reductions—despite temporary pay protection measures—will experience long-term economic uncertainty. Ultimately, utilizing dismissal tactics to force structural change risks entrenching a combative relationship between Glasgow City Council and its employees, leaving the local authority vulnerable to prolonged legal challenges and protracted labor unrest well into the implementation of the new pay scheme in 2027.