FURIOUS trade unionists were thrown out of an Aberdeen City Council meeting today after the SNP-led local authority insisted on holding a debate on its fire-and-rehire policy behind closed doors.

The council is threatening to use the widely condemned tactic to impose a new contract on more than 3,000 workers, cutting the full-time working week from 37 to 35 hours and freezing pay for two years.

As a result, the GMB union is threatening strike action and Unite is balloting on a call for walkouts.