Glasgow Life, previously Culture and Sport Glasgow, said the cash cuts required between now and 2013 were equivalent to the cost of running its museum service – which includes Kelvingrove, the Burrell Collection and the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) – or the city’s municipal libraries.
The council-owned charitable trust, which employs about 2200 staff, has also said that the scale of the cuts between 2013 and 2015, immediately before and after the Commonwealth Games, will dwarf those of the previous three years.
Details come as staff at Glasgow Life prepare for several days of industrial action, which will force the closure of some of the city’s leading attractions over the Glasgow Fair Weekend.
Union leaders accused Glasgow Life of timing the release of the scale of the cuts to sap the morale of striking workers – but insisted it would have the opposite effect.
Senior sources within Glasgow Life have confirmed that the unions have succeeded in their aim to shut the museums across the weekend.
They said Kelvingrove, GoMA and the People’s Palace would be closed by the industrial action all weekend – the busiest of the year – but added the body was adamant it would not concede to union demands over pay.
Concerns about insurance, staff numbers and “keeping powder dry” for major targeted events have been cited as the reasons for the closure decision.
Among obvious candidates for closure are the Glasgow Life services housed in older buildings, with the library service expected to bear some of the brunt of the cuts.
About a dozen community facilities have already shut as part of the current round of cutbacks, with closures ultimately the decision of the council.
Although some services will increase in cost, Glasgow Life has said it cannot afford to price itself out of the market, adding that charges would not be introduced to Kelvingrove and that Commonwealth Games venues were protected.
Last night union leaders warned compulsory redundancies would escalate the current dispute “tenfold”, raising concerns over ownership of facilities such as libraries and the ability to pay off staff, even suggesting Glasgow Life should consider selling art works to retain staff and keep facilities.
Unison’s Scottish chairman Mike Kirby said: “If jobs are now being threatened, then all bets are off and this dispute will multiply. Culture and Sport was set up as a means of drawing in assets and funding. It has failed in that. Maybe it needs to look at how it manages all its assets, of which its workforce is one.”
The GMB’s Martin Doran said: “This will do nothing but strengthen the resolve of the workforce. We had suggestions of redundancies and the briefings we’ve had from the council made for grim listening, but all the unions will fight against any suggestions of compulsories.”
Doran said he was “incredulous” at the scale of cutbacks and redundancies as Glasgow gears up for the 2014 Games.
A spokesman for Glasgow Life, said: “The savings we must make in the next three years are the equivalent of the annual operating costs of Glasgow’s libraries or museums service.
“The dispute must come to an end and we are calling on the trade unions and staff to work with us to avoid compulsory redundancies during what promises to be difficult times ahead.
“We remain committed to protecting our valuable services and the people who provide them, but that can only be achieved by working together.”
