Cracks are appearing in the SNP’s resolve – as an eleventh hour, multi-million-pound plan to avert strikes set to cripple public services emerges.
Nationalist council co-leader Christian Allard is facing calls from within his own party to blink first in the row with Aberdeen workers over the threat of fire and rehire.
It comes as councillors will hear calls to undo a £5 million staff reorganisation which prompted the dispute in the first place.
Scores of protestors are expected at Aberdeen Town House to demonstrate their concern ahead of a budget debate where the issue is bound to arise.
An official three-week ballot on strike action opened on Monday, with plans for potential walk outs before changes come into force in April.
Budget meeting comes amid threat of strike chaos at council
Union leaders on Monday warned such industrial action could unleash “chaos” on Aberdeen, with bins left to overflow and the most vulnerable left to fend for themselves.
Initial polling of GMB Scotland members showed 89% of members at Aberdeen City Council were willing to strike to protect their pay packets and halt the “shambolic mess” – as membership soars.
Torry and Ferryhill Councillor Allard last month said fire and rehire would only be used as a “last resort”, forcing staff into new jobs on different terms.
It’s a practice soon to be outlawed in the UK, and one that Aberdeen City Council workers are being balloted to strike over.
Unions say plans to reduce the working week from 37 to 35 hours will throw more city staff into poverty, as it could be accompanied with a years-long pay cut.
Which SNP bigwig has called Christian Allard’s stance into question?
And Mr Allard’s SNP colleague, the Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart, has now waded into the row.
In a letter seen by The P&J, he urges the SNP and Liberal Democrat administration to take the threat off the table.
He wrote: “I recognise that employment negotiations are often difficult to navigate and that officials often use various tactics in their talks with trades unions.
“However, as a trade unionist myself, I feel that keeping possibilities like ‘fire and rehire’ on the table is bad for employer/employee relationships.
“I would ask that you and your colleagues instruct officials to remove fire and rehire from the negotiations that they are having with the unions.”
Could millions be found to end jobs misery for council staff?
Meanwhile, Aberdeen Labour are bringing forward calls to spend £5m to end the dispute altogether.
The group is in opposition and unlikely to gain backing for their budget at Wednesday’s meeting.
But leader M Tauqeer Malik told The P&J: “It includes the £5m to reverse the fire and rehire proposals the SNP wants to introduce, which will impact on our employees and in all probability lead to industrial action.
“We must work with our employees and if we find the money, why can’t the SNP?
“There’s no desire to support our hard-working staff, who have been left in limbo.
“Our budget stops this industrial action and is a positive and ambitious budget that works for all citizens.”
Mr Malik’s alternative proposal would also only increase council tax by 6.5%.
What do you make of the council pay row? Let us know in our comments section below
Is Christian Allard persuaded by Aberdeen SNP veteran in strike row?
A source inside the SNP and Liberal Democrat ruling administration said there would be “no change” in their approach in light of Labour’s calls.
But co-leader Mr Allard did respond to the pressure from his SNP colleague Kevin Stewart.
He pointed out that all party groups on the council had backed the £5m cut which has led to the working hours overhaul last year (though opponents say there wasn’t enough detail to know what they were endorsing).
And Mr Allard reiterated that “fire and rehire should only be considered as a last resort”, repeating his administration’s “current” commitment to having no compulsory.
After this, he then stated that neither side of the dispute – council or union – should be briefing the press as it goes “against the spirit” of the Fair Work Agreement.
Ending his press comment, he told our newspaper: “I do respect and adhere to the Fair Agreement.”
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