THE ruling SNP group of East Dunbartonshire Council has quit in a row over cutting redundancy terms for staff.

Councillors last month voted to cut the maximum added years for pensionable employees from 10 to three, reduce the maximum discretionary payments from 66 weeks to 30, and introduce a maximum payback period of two years.

On November 9, Liberal Democrat and Tory councillors voted to defeat the SNP minority administration and Labour councillors to cut the terms of the council’s voluntary severance arrangements.

It instructs management to issue 90-day notices next March to all staff who do not agree to the changes voluntarily, terminating their current contracts and re-engaging them on the new terms and conditions.

Unions condemned the move, while the ruling minority SNP administration accused the Tories and Lib Dems of treating council employees with “abject contempt” by announcing the decision ahead of consulting the workforce.

Now the SNP have resigned en masse in protest following a stormy meeting last night and leaves East Dunbartonshire without a governing party.

In a resignation letter former SNP council leader Councillor Gordon Low, said: “With a majority of 12 out of 22 councillors, the two main opposition groups have always had it in their own hands to choose how to exercise that majority.

“Unfortunately, while not prepared to take on the responsibility of administration, they have nonetheless chosen to work hand in glove, acting as a coalition in all but name to obstruct the work of the Council and impose their own agenda.”