ABERDEEN’S trade unionists turned-out in force on Saturday in their battle against the SNP-led city council’s fire-and-rehire plans.

The council proposes to force workers onto a new contract which would see the working week fall from 37 to 35 hours, but wages frozen for the next two years. 

A Labour motion calling for the plans to be ditched was tabled last week, but it was defeated as SNP councillors rallied behind their colleague Christian Allard who argued he “did not want to interfere with the negotiations between our officers and the unions.”

Addressing Saturday’s rally as Unite, GMB and Unison all consider industrial action, Aberdeen TUC president Tommy Campbell accused the SNP councillors of “sticking their fingers up” at workers, adding: “The reason why all this is happening is for a £5 million saving.

“That’s £5m is coming out of the pockets of council workers, it’s not coming out of councillors’ pockets

“The great only appear great because we are on our knees, but you are not on your knees, you are going to stand up and fight and Aberdeen TUC will be by your side.”