SCOTLAND'S largest council faces the prospect of widespread industrial action as details of cuts to staff working conditions to save millions of pounds emerge.
Glasgow City Council plans to axe overtime payments and flexible working hours as part of a raft of proposals to save around £4.5million over the next two years.
Councillors will vote later this week to accept or reject the package of cuts to terms and conditions, with the potential for splits within the ruling Labour administration on the issue.
Trade unions claim the proposed changes will impact on the take-home pay of around 2,500 workers, with many at the bottom of the pay scale and involved in residential care and cleansing standing to lose as much as £600-a-year.
Unison said the policy of the local branch was to "use industrial action to fight cuts in terms and conditions" with stewards now be organising meetings across the council to put the case for a ballot.
It comes as the council "deletes" a number of senior management posts following pressure by its political leadership to cut salary costs at the top of the authority.
One source said the Labour leadership was keen to show the council's senior officials were were also taking its share of the burden brought about by the ongoing squeeze on public finances. The top tier of management also expected to forgo a pay rise next year.
The authority faces a financial black hole in excess of £130million between 2016 and 2018 and is currently involved in a public consultation on where to make cuts and savings.
Other proposals include cuts to education funding, cultural grants and events, community facilities, and environmental services, along with increasing charges for leisure activities.
The Herald's View
In a note to all staff, council chief executive Annmarie O'Donnell said: "All our plans are based on making sure that there will still be a job for anyone who wants to keep working for the council family, that you will still have amongst the best terms and conditions in the country and that you will still be contributing to building a better Glasgow.
"What we will ask you to do, is be more flexible about the types of jobs you do and where from.
"For some staff this could mean a difference to the take home pay if they receive payments for non-contractual overtime or overtime for working public holidays. And for staff who use the flexi time system, this will mean the removal of flexi leave.
"I think it’s important to be clear about that for everyone and I also know these changes will affect certain groups of staff more than others."
Unions including the Education Institute of Scotland, Unison, Unite and GMB have twice written to council leader Frank McAveety expressing their concerns and asked to be given permission to speak on the matter at this week's executive committee, where the measures will be voted on.
As well as the removal of enhanced overtime rates and flexi leave across the council, the plans include more flexible retirement, purchase of up to 15 days per year unpaid leave, conversion of six public holidays to annual leave and new workers having annual leave cut to 25 days for first five years.
Brian Smith, secretary of the Glasgow Unison branch, said: "We've been expecting bad things so there's no real surprises here. And again the first thing we see to deal with cuts is an attack on terms and conditions which won;t make much of an impact on the council's financial position.
"But the changes will hit those at the bottom of the pay scale most but in some instances cause the council much more hassle to implement than its worth."
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