''IT was just a joke,'' claimed union leaders yesterday on being castigated for seeking a half day off so that their members could watch the Scotland v Brazil World Cup clash on TV, writes John MacCalman.
Unfortunately the joke backfired, with senior councillors condemning the union and giving full backing to council leader Frank McAveety for refusing the request which would have cost #600,000 in salary terms.
A solemn Councillor McAveety stated: ''I would not and could not sanction such a move now or at any point in the future. Nonetheless, I hope the team do well.''
Unison's Glasgow branch secretary, Ms Angela Lynes, said: ''We had a meeting with the council last week, and as we were finishing up we had a jocular conversation about closing early on the day of the match. It was all a joke. It was most certainly not an official approach from the union.''
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