Workers have claimed a victory in a months-long battle against their bosses – as Aberdeen City Council has finally agreed to drop the threat of “firing and rehiring” staff under controversial new contracts.
After months of tense negotiations and strike threats, the local authority is coming closer to striking a deal with employees.
It comes after an overwhelming majority of GMB union members backed strike action over the pay dispute – raising the prospect of bins left to overflow and crucial services grinding to a halt.
But the battle is far from over – as union members will still have to vote on whether to accept the council’s offer.
Freshly agreed documents seen by The Press and Journal indicate that unions have accepted changes which will see pay frozen and hours reduced from 37 to 35 hours per week.
But it could come with the catch that overtime is paid at “enhanced” rates.
And they confirm that the council has been forced to remove the most contentious bargaining chip from the table…
Why were unions and Aberdeen City Council involved in row?
The local authority agreed last year to slash £5 million from its wage bill in a move to cut costs wherever they can, at a time of worsening financial crisis.
Staff were asked to sign up to standstill wages which could “last for years” according to union officials.
This would be done through reducing the working week from 37 hours to 35 hours.
And while the reduction in hours was appreciated by unions, they took issue with the proposed pay freeze that comes along with it – warning that some members were already turning to foodbanks.
This could have potentially lasted for years until pay rises eventually overtake workers’ current 37-hour-a-week stipend.
What deal has been made between unions and Aberdeen City Council?
After months of negotiations, the council and union chiefs have finally reached an agreement.
Union bosses have managed to secure a “buyout payment” rather than a wage freeze.
This means that all affected workers will receive two hours pay in two annual payments, with the second being slightly more than the first.
Council staff will receive this extra cash in their July pay packets.
Along with this, overtime rates will be boosted next year, and then furthermore in 2027.
Employees pensions will also be protected throughout this.
But more importantly, fire and rehire is officially off the table.
The documents seen by The P&J confirm this is “no longer a potential future consideration” as per the new position agreed by both sides.
What happens next?
Union chiefs will go back to their members with the news of the agreement shortly – before formal letters are sent out to staff next month.
The changes would then come into effect at the start of July, including the slashing of working hours.
What do you make of the agreement? Let us know in our comments section below
‘Union has worked hard to expose why fire and rehire should be binned’
Aberdeen’s Labour group say they’re “delighted” that a deal has finally been reached to take “the unjust policy of fire and rehire” off the table.
A spokesperson for the party’s Aberdeen branch said: “We are grateful to our union colleagues who have worked hard to expose why fire and rehire should be consigned to the dustbin forever.”
However, they warned that the solution will only last for two years – meaning there could be future upheaval still to come over the issue.
Council ‘did not blink first’ over Union deal
Speaking after the breakthrough, the council’s finance chief Alex McLellan said that whilst it was still a live negotiation, he is glad that a deal has finally been put to members.
Mr McLellan said: “I’m glad that we’ve got a position that can be put to trade union members and a position that would be reached through collective bargaining.
“I think the unions have obviously negotiated hard and got a deal for staff and certainly this deal also represents a fair position for the council as well.
“I don’t think the council necessarily blinked, but certainly we would have always wanted to reach an agreement… and that is what we’ve got just now.”
He also stated that union bosses and senior officials should recognise that “the council has moved substantially” when it came to a deal everyone could agree on.
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