THIRTEEN catering staff are at the centre of a growing political row over plans to make them redundant as part of a major reorganisation of Glasgow's colleges.
The so-called 'canteen thirteen' of 10 dinner ladies and three men have won huge support from a campaign to ensure they continue serving meals to students at Glasgow Kelvin College.
Now their trade union, Unison, has called for the Scottish Government to intervene.
Officials have accused ministers of going back on assurances that workers should not face compulsory redundancy as part of the shake-up, and have called on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to step in.
The workers are facing the sack as the former Stow College campus winds down before its planned closure next summer.
A campaign to save them has attracted support from hundreds of past and present students, who have posted messages on a special Facebook page thanking them for their lunches and friendship.
Between them, the "canteen thirteen" have clocked up more than 130 years service at the former Stow College.
They are not protected by the government's high profile policy of banning compulsory redundancies in the public sector because they were transferred to a private company when the college's catering contract was outsourced three years ago.
Mandy McDowell, Unison regional organiser for further education said, "The First Minister must intervene as a matter of urgency.
"We were informed by the Scottish Government at the beginning of the college regionalisation process, there would be no requirement for compulsory redundancies within the further education sector, and this commitment must be honoured."
She added: "Senior managers and college principals paid themselves eye watering final voluntary severance payments, costing the college almost £700,000.
"Here we have thirteen low paid loyal workers, facing compulsory redundancy, who have 135 years of public service between them who will receive the bare minimum statutory redundancy pay.
"Staff were promised that there would be no compulsory redundancy at all.
"Paying off these 13 loyal staff would not be as expensive as paying off one college principal."
One of the dinner ladies, Deborah Hood, said: "Losing this job is devastating.
"I have loved working here.
"We take pride in what we do. The students have been wonderful.
"For some it's a big decision to go to college and we are here to chat and try and put them at their ease.
"We really do build up relationships with the students."
Colleague Henry Ball said: "I have been here for 15 years.
"Some of us have been here 25 years. We love it.
"We have literally served thousands of students over the years.
"The students tend to know us all by name. We want this to be a welcoming college, where students feel safe, especially the younger students who have just left school."
The government said the situation was "regrettable" but insisted it was powerless to act.
A spokesman said: "The Scottish Government is opposed to compulsory redundancies though we have always been clear that we do not have the power to prevent colleges making compulsory redundancies.
"We have been equally clear that they do not need to do so.
"The reality is that catering contract is ultimately an operational matter for the college and the firm which manages it, while the employment of catering staff is the responsibility of the contractor.
"Clearly any uncertainty over the impact of future catering arrangements on individual employees is regrettable and we would hope that the position for them becomes clear soon."
A Glasgow Kelvin College spokesman said: "The college has met routinely with Elior in relation to this planned closure in order that the company can engage appropriately with their staff.
"The College has offered to interview any Elior staff affected for any suitable vacancies which may arise within the college."
Elior has declined to comment before a consultation on the closure of the old Stow College building has concluded.
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