UNIONS have lodged a formal dispute with Glasgow City Council over closed venues and plans to cut 500 jobs.
Those respresenting the workforce in Glasgow Life, the charity that runs venues including museums, have lodged what they call a formal collective grievance over potential job cuts and the ongoing closure of many sports, community, cultural and library venues.
The unions Unison, GMB and Unite say senior officials have failed to consult them on plans to cut 500 jobs despite the proposal being announced to the media last week.
They say they have not provided basic staffing information, set out how workers jobs might be protected or adopted a coherent plan to re-open venues in line with the decision of the last full council meeting.
Glasgow Life has said that the Covid pandemic has had a “significant impact” on its finances and “all but wiped out” £37.4m of earned income from ticket sales, donations and gym memberships.
It is seeking to cut costs by cutting its workforce, but has said its current policy is for no compulsory redundancies and to guarantee affected staff a job at the same grade elsewhere in the council.
READ MORE: City leaders beg for help as Glasgow Life faces £38m black hole
"While our overall headcount will reduce by an estimated 500 over time, this is being managed using targeted early retirement and voluntary redundancy and careful vacancy management as people leave to pursue new career opportunities,” said a spokesman.
“This reduction is not being delivered through venues without reopening dates. Staff may also be offered redeployment opportunities and will be supported with appropriate training if they move to a new role.”
Kelvingrove Museum
Brian Smith, Unison Branch Secretary, said: “We oppose all cuts to jobs and services. Glasgow needs more investment, not less.
"The trade unions are calling for a proper plan to secure the financial future of all current services and jobs. Glasgow’s councillors and MSPs need to do more.
"Implementing cuts and managing the city’s decline was not what they were elected to do. ”
Glasgow Life has said that the 500 job cuts will be managed using targeted early retirement and voluntary redundancy and "careful vacancy management" as people leave to pursue new career opportunities.
Staff may also be offered redeployment opportunities and will be supported with appropriate training if they move to a new role.
Wendy Dunsmore, Unite industrial officer, added: "The actions of the Scottish Government has real consequences for the livelihoods of thousands of workers in Glasgow and these cuts to services is a manifestation of their decisions. The city's leisure and sport facilities, libraries and cultural venues are under immediate threat.
"We have called on the SNP Government, for more than a decade now, to change their policy of underfunding local authorities with Glasgow being consistently one of the most underfunded areas. We have warned for years this underfunding would lead to jobs losses, privatisation and closure but were accused of scaremongering.
"However, our predictions are coming to reality and the effects will be devastating. The talk of 'anti-austerity' from the Scottish Government is just exactly that and the reality is very different. Unite is demanding that the SNP Government delivers on a fair settlement for these essential services."
Glasgow City Council’s budget, which was announced in March, revealed that it would cut the fee it pays Glasgow Life to run services such as museums by 6% (or £4.7m) to £72.8m for 2021-22. The council has provided a guarantee up to £100m for the next five years, which will allow the charity to “stabilise while planning for a sustainable future”.
In May, Glasgow City Council passed a motion for all of Glasgow Life’s 171 facilities to reopen as soon as funding and Scottish government guidance allowed. To date, 91 have reopened.
Harry Blackwood, GMB Glasgow Life convenor, added: “The current situation Glasgow finds itself in is a political failure at every level of government. "We are left with no option but to lodge this letter of dispute and formalise the grievance process to get the answers we need to effectively represent our members. Glasgow Deserves Better."
The trade unions are supporting a march and demonstration organised by the Glasgow Against Closures community campaign on Saturday 31 July, and call on their members and the wider public to join the march at 12.30pm at the St.Mungo Museum, Castle Street.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “We can confirm receipt of a collective grievance from Unison, GMB and Unite, and we will consider the matters raised through our formal grievance procedure.”
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