BBC Scotland interviews River Clyde Homes staff
This week, BBC Scotland interviewed two River Clyde Homes staff members affected by the proposed ‘fire and rehire’ changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme. RCH Group is consulting UNISON and Unite members on voluntarily leaving the Strathclyde Pension scheme in exchange for 100% of the members yearly wage. If all pension scheme members do not agree to leave LGPS, the RCH Group has proposed an option, with board approval, to ‘fire and rehire’ all members and change the pension scheme.
Telling BBC Scotland reporter Hope of their shock and anger, Unison members Stuart and Lorna will be financially worse off in the short and long term. Moving to the next best but underperforming Defined Benefits pension scheme, they need to pay double monthly pension payments. The RCH Group will also have to pay higher premiums for each employee into this scheme, which they are currently paying less into the LGPS scheme which performing.
Under the ACAS code of conduct, the’fire and rehire’ strategy should only be used if the employer’s business is in financial distress and there is genuinely no other option. Neither if these options have been presented to unions.
The Labour government wants to end unscrupulous fire and rehire tactics that leave working people at the mercy of bullying threats. The Employment Rights Bill, which will restrict the use of the ‘fire and rehire’, is currently at Reporting stage in the UK Parliament.
In the last few years the RCH Group has signed up to the Scottish Government’s Fair Work Agreement which states that the RCH Group are against fire and rehire practices, which they are now proposing to impose on their employees.





