A UNION in Glasgow is “seeking urgent clarity on who holds responsibility for protecting staff rights, pay, and wellbeing” after the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) was plunged into liquidation and its workers sacked.

Operations at the centre on the city’s Sauchiehall Street, with a long history in the arts, came to a juddering halt on Friday when staff were informed in an online meeting that the charity was insolvent.

The acting board told workers the centre had been closed and the locks changed that morning, and during the call, they were locked out of their staff email accounts and “informed of the proposed redundancies with a day’s notice,” according to Unite Hospitality Glasgow.

In a statement , the union warned: “Even in cases of severe financial pressure, employers remain legally obliged to consult staff prior to dismissal, and trustees remain bound by their duties under charity law.

“Staff are deeply concerned about how this process is being handled. 

“Redundancy is not an announcement but a legal and consultative process. At present, staff have received no meaningful consultation prior to dismissal, and redundancy obligations appear unmet. 

“CCA staff are seeking urgent clarity on who holds responsibility for protecting staff rights, pay and wellbeing during this process, and how those responsibilities will be met.”

Attempts were made to contact the CCA, but in a statement, Creative Scotland, formerly its main funder, said: “We understand how unsettling and upsetting this news will be for everyone working at, and with an interest in, the CCA. 

“As owners of the building at 350 Sauchiehall Street, Creative Scotland will explore future options, alongside other partners, with the shared aim of the centre reopening as a cultural resource as soon as is realistically possible.”