AN SNP council is cutting facility time for shop stewards to undermine the fightback against austerity, union reps argued yesterday.

West Dunbartonshire Council is reducing the number of paid reps from the full-time equivalent of 3.4 workers to just two.

Hundreds of council workers turned out for a meeting in protest at the changes yesterday lunchtime.

The council chamber was so crowded that the meeting had to be moved to the car park outside the authority’s offices.

Unison convener Val Jennings told the crowd: “There will be no saving to the council for taking this action, as the work will still need to be done.”

She said the cuts were “purely political” and designed to “undermine the trade unions’ ability to organise” among the council workforce.

Unite rep Margaret Wood warned that the council was gearing up for further fights over the implementation of “shared services” with neighbouring authorities, which she branded “privatisation via the back door.”

The authority claims that its plans will put West Dunbartonshire “in line with other Scottish councils” in terms of facility time entitlement.

But Community Party councillor Jim Bollan said the council had made its budget with a “surplus … well in excess of £3 million” thanks to a healthy bank balance and government support.

“There is no real need for any cuts to be made by the council,” he said.

“It makes you understand these were political cuts … to weaken the trade unions for what’s coming down the line next year and the year after.”

Labour’s David McBride added: “This year, all of the cuts were a choice not a need.”

The Star approached the council for comment on the allegation that the cuts were politically motivated, but a spokesman said it would not comment on such matters.

West Dunbartonshire was one of just four council areas to vote Yes in the 2014 independence referendum.

But reps said they have received numerous messages from SNP voters saying they feel betrayed by the council’s clipping of trade union wings.

Last week, First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon expressed opposition to the cuts, warning that reducing facility time would prove to be a “false economy.”