Workers who won their legal fight against the owner of a collapsed Glasgow venue have launched a bid to take ownership of it and re-open.
The 13th Note is credited for helping launch the careers of Scottish bands and artists including Paulo Nutini, Franz Ferdinand Mogwai and Belle & Sebastian.
It closed last year following an industrial dispute centred on working conditions and fair wages that culminated in staff winning an employment tribunal last month for the unfair dismissal of 20 employees.
Former workers are now planning to take over the lease of the venue on King Street and hope to raise the funds to refurbish it and re-open.
A petition directed at Glasgow City Council and City Properties has been backed by more than 3000 people.
In a statement, the former employees said: "The 13th Note has long nurtured the city's emerging talent.
"We, the former workers of the 13th Note, are officially applying for the lease to the venue with the aim of reopening the 13th Note under workers' ownership.
"We aim to preserve and promote the cultural legacy of the 13th Note and renew the venue as a multi-purpose social and cultural community space for the people of Glasgow.
"A worker-run 13th Note plans to reinvest profit in ensuring sustainability and providing programmes, activities and resources for artistic, cultural and educational purposes, and engaging in outreach in the local community."
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A spokeswoman for City Property confirmed that the property is now on the open market and the agents, Graham & Sibbald, have been in touch with the workers' coop.
She added: "The workers have been made aware of the standard requirements for submitting an offer should they choose to do so."
The sudden closure of the music venue in July 2023 came just three days after workers took historic strike action amid a bitter dispute with the bar’s owner over working conditions.
Those taking part were the first group of bar workers to strike in Scotland for over two decades and they were backed by a number of prominent musicians in Glasgow, including Paolo Nutini and Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai.
Issues raised by the workers included zero hour contracts, which offer little stability and see hours fluctuate week to week; staff under 23 and under 21 being paid lower rates for the same work; and kitchen staff being expected to work 12 hour shifts.
Unite members also raised concerns about health & safety while working at the venue, which were denied as being "categorically untrue" by the 13th Note’s owner, Jacqueline Fennessy.
On the day the redundancies were announced, the owner of 13th Note was due to meet with Unite reps at the conciliation service ACAS to discuss a positive resolution to the dispute.
Former staff say a worker-owned 13th Note would "provide a concrete example that our sector is not incompatible with fair pay and fair work."
They added: "We will ensure good working conditions for all 13th Note staff through a commitment to Unite Hospitality's 10-point charter.
"We aim not solely to reopen the 13th Note for ourselves, but for the arts, cultural and social scenes which it has fostered and will continue to nourish in the future."
The group estimates that it will cost around £40k to revamp the venue. The workers have raised £10,000 so far and a crowdfunder has also been launched.
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