Glasgow City Council pauses plan to fire and rehire 23,000 staff

Glasgow City Council has agreed to pause plans to fire and rehire more than 23,000 members of staff, the BBC has been told.

The decision follows online talks between the council and three trade unions, chaired by Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth.

It is understood that negotiations between the council and the GMB, Unison and Unite unions will resume early next week to try to reach a new deal on pay.

Letters which had been due to be sent to staff informing them of the fire and rehire plans will not be issued.

The SNP-led council had threatened to sack thousands of members of staff and then rehire them on new contracts after negotiations with unions over equal pay proposals broke down.

The talks were about the council's plans to replace a pay system found to discriminate against mostly women workers. The changes would see the majority of staff unaffected or better off, but they would cut pay for 11% of staff.

Gilruth said the Scottish government did not support fire and rehire schemes and had urged the council and trade unions to get back around the negotiating table.

One Glasgow City Council worker had earlier described the situation as "heartbreaking".