Call for clarity over future of Glasgow leisure venues

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of the Glasgow Life run facilities - but it has been closed for much of the past year

Concerns are growing over the future of Glasgow's libraries, museums, sports and community centres.

The facilities have been closed for much of the last 12 months because of the pandemic.

As public funds continue to shrink union officials are calling for clarity over the risk to hundreds of jobs in the leisure sector.

Not-for-profit charity Glasgow Life runs the dozens of venues on behalf of Glasgow City Council.

• Glasgow Life warns services face uncertain future

A spokesman admitted that further assessments were needed to establish the longer term funding impact on the size of the workforce.

It had previously been mooted that 40% of staff - some 1,000 workers - was at risk of being cut.

After Glasgow City Council set its budget earlier this month, a spokesman for the GMB union said a decision to cut £5m from the fee paid to Glasgow Life would "put local services and livelihoods under even greater pressure".

He added: "Our workforce representatives will meet with the head of service and we will be seeking full transparency on all proposals for the future of service delivery."

'More control to people'

Brian Smith, from union Unison, said: "The financial situation with Glasgow Life in the coming years is going to be a major issue we fear."

He went on to voice concerns about "community activation pilots" which would allow community organisations to run venues.

Mr Smith explained: "Our view is that such a level of change would in effect mean the council saying to local people 'you want a community centre, well run it yourselves'.

"The city needs more money to provide high quality services with paid workers."

A council spokeswoman said: "Earlier this year, the Scottish government's social renewal advisory board published a report calling for the public sector to give more control to people and communities over decisions that affect their lives. That is what this will do."

The charity has been able to furlough some staff, whose pay is linked to its own income, not the council's service fee.

At the end of November, £6.7m had been claimed and 751 people remained on the scheme.

• Story produced from material submtted by local democracy reporter Drew Sandelands.