A meeting two weeks ago saw elected councillors vote through the plans which would see all staff and facilities put into the hands of an East Renfrewshire Leisure Trust.

The council has insisted the move will not lead to venues closing or jobs eing lost.

But Scotland’s biggest union, Unison, hit out at the proposals raising fears over the survival of facilities.

This week the organisation was joined by anti-cuts campaigners, who said the move was nothing but “back door privatisation”.

Chairman of the Renfrewshire Anti-Cuts group Phil Traish, a Dunterlie resident, said: “It was first attempted a few years back by East Renfrewshire Council and they dropped it because of the pressure on them to not go ahead with it.

“But this time it seems to be getting pushed through and it is nothing short of back door privatisation, which the council will deny.

“It’s a money saver and it takes democratic accountability away from the people of Barrhead and I think that, down the line, it could be disastrous for prices paid by the public and jobs.” Mr Traish claimed other trusts in the area have seen problems with staff wages being slashed and dissatisfaction among employees.

Trade unions were consulted by East Renfrewshire Council as the wheels towards an independent trust started rolling.

Unison publicly objected to the plans, announcing a statement that urged residents to lobby East Renfrewshire Council and bosses to keep the area’s leisure facilities in public hands.

The plan would see sports venues, plus their staff, transfer to the charitable trust by summer 2015.

This includes Barrhead and Neilston leisure centres, Eastwood Leisure Centre, 10 libraries, 19 community halls, a park, Eastwood Theatre as well as sports services provided by the council such as Active Schools and sports development programmes.

Mr Traish was also unhappy with the lack of public consultation over the move.

“There has to be some form of public consultation, I don’t know if they plan to go ahead with something in the near future but there has been very little so far. I know they consulted with the trade unions but that seems to be it,” he said.

“In the long term, jobs and the services are on the line here and the public should be able to have their say.” Council bosses defended the move, claiming the added cost savings would aid services and that the service to the public would remain unchanged, with jobs unaffected.

UNCERTAINTY An East Renfrewshire Council spokesman said the authority was aware how unsettling this proposed change is for staff.

“It is important that all our staff have access to the facts and we will provide much information and reassurance as we can throughout the process,” he said.

“At a time when the council is having to find significant savings, it would be unthinkable not to consider all the options on the table – particularly a proposal that can protect local services and jobs. The decision move to a charitable trust can deliver both.

“It is important to remember that there is uncertainty for all staff across the public sector at this time, and indeed for local people employed in the private sector where the concept of a job for life and guaranteed terms and conditions simply does not exist.

“Staff moving to a charitable trust will be transferred with their current terms and conditions and Trade Unions will be involved. Our services will continue as normal and we will be providing regular updates to our customers throughout the process.

“There are many examples of trusts across the countr y where services have continued to improve and staff satisfaction levels are high. This is and will remain our aim. not doing something based on someone else’s experience is not an option when all savings opportunities have to be explored.”