HUNDREDS of staff are to be dismissed from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) after refusing to accept new pay and conditions.
Around 570 employees will have their contracts with the body terminated after failing to agree to the new terms.
This represents 43% of the agency's workforce, which numbers some 1,330. Around 130 will also have their pay frozen to bring it in lin
e with the new pay-grading system.
Sepa insists the new arrangement benefits about half of the agency's lowest-paid staff. But public sector union Unison said Sepa was "behaving like the worst Victorian mill owners".
A Unison spokesman said: "Unison will not accept such dictatorial behaviour and will be discussing ways to counter Sepa's actions using all available means, including industrial action where appropriate."
Sepa defended the new structure, saying it met "all legal requirements under equality legislation". The agency also insisted: "No one is being made redundant."
The notices of dismissal, which will be issued on Tuesday, will be accompanied by an offer of re-engagement on the new terms and conditions, a spokeswoman said.
The current contracts are set to finish at the end of May. Staff were told of the new system this month and had until yesterday to agree to it. By this time, 758 members of staff had accepted.
Although no immediate pay-cuts were involved, around 130 employees, 10% of staff, would not receive rises in the near future. Their pay "will be temporarily held back in order to bring their salary within their new pay grade", the agency stated.
A spokeswoman said: "Sepa deeply regrets having to take this action," and accepted that the move would have "an impact on staff" and could be "demotivating". But she added: "For many others, the new system is bringing significant benefit and opportunities."
