‘Fire and rehire’ practices, such as those currently being attempted against teachers at a school in Glasgow, should be outlawed, members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, have argued today.
Fire and rehire tactics, which have swept across the independent school sector in England are now creeping north of the border, NASUWT members at the Union’s Scotland Annual Conference in Aberdeen have warned.
Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow, the former school of First Minister Humza Yousaf, has sought to force staff to sign contracts removing them from the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme and forcing them into an inferior pensions scheme. If they did not agree staff were told they would be sacked.
The NASUWT is concerned that without intervention from ministers this case could herald further attempts by other schools in the independent sector in Scotland to seek to undermine teachers’ basic terms and conditions.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
“We are worried that, without action from the Scottish Government, the situation at Hutchesons’ could set a precedent which would embolden other employers to seek to impose similar detrimental changes to teachers’ terms and conditions.
“We appeal to the First Minister to address the despicable actions of his former school and to prevent further instances of such bullying behaviour in the future by clamping down on the legal loopholes which allow employers to engage in fire and rehire practices.”
Mike Corbett, NASUWT Scotland National Official, said:
“Members at Hutchesons’ are due to begin strike action before the end of this month. They are rightly refusing to accept the underhanded and wholly unethical way in which they have been treated.
“We hope our robust stance and the support shown by the wider trade union movement for our members at Hutchesons’ will make other employers think twice before embarking on any similar moves.
“However, rather than leaving it to trade unions to stand up against bullying employers, the Scottish Government should show it is on the side of working people and act to outlaw the use of fire and rehire.”
