Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan has criticised the decision to move Glasgows sports, arts and leisure services to a new organisation set up as a charitable trust.  Speaking after returning from the picket at Simclar last night he said:

"This is a cynical grab of our publicly owned services and amounts to theft.  These are our services, that we own, and they are democractically accountable through the Council.  It enables the lottery to fund what is essentially core council services and leaves workers with a new employer without consultation.

"The same amount of charity and lottery funding could be achieved by several forms of organisation but I didnt see any options on the table.  Why not put the workers in charge through a cooperative?  Local Government assets and services are being sold off to private firms and unelected quangoes across Scotland."