A popular Glasgow tourist attraction is reportedly set to axe workers due to a huge "financial black hole".
Staff at the city's beloved Science Centre have been warned their roles are at risk after operating losses of £773k were revealed.
The losses are understood to be 75% worse than the chiefs at the centre expected, reports the Scottish Sun.
According to the newspaper, bosses at the attraction said they are bracing for a deficit of more than one million pounds over the next three years.
It has been reported that an email sent to the centre's workers warned that the charity's financial state had "further deteriorated" recently and that "compulsory redundancies" will be needed.
At the moment, it is unclear how many staff members could lose their jobs. However, workers have since accused management of 'lacking leadership and accountability'.
The Science Centre, which opened in July 2001, employs around 100 full-time and around 40 part-time staff members.
The notice from Glasgow's Science Centre, Dr Stephen Breslin, read: “Without meaningful change to our company-wide operations, our longer-term financial sustainability is at risk.”
Meanwhile, a source told the Scottish Sun: “Obviously gutted but not surprised, it has been coming for ages.
"Years of mismanagement, ridiculously high levels of attrition, lack of leadership, general apathy and a real lack of accountability.
"It’s sad but not unexpected.
"What is needed is a change in leadership; the people who work every day with the public and engage to bring success to the science centre shouldn’t be the ones who suffer.
“The people at the top have had the jobs for years, they keep trying the same things and are surprised when it doesn’t work.
"It won’t be them not sleeping at night for fear of their jobs.”
These are understood to be not automatically replacing staff who leave or retire, retraining employees for posts in other areas of the business, cutting agency workers, freezing or reducing overtime, and voluntary reduction in contractual hours or job sharing.
Despite the changes, the centre's CEO said they "don't go far enough to address the severity of the situation".
He said: “It is therefore with the greatest regret that I have to inform you that some compulsory redundancies will be necessary.
“We are doing our utmost to keep these to a minimum.
"Within the next few weeks, we will be informing those colleagues at risk.
“A consultation period will follow, and meetings will be arranged with people who will be affected.
"In line with the Organisational Change Policy, voluntary redundancy will be considered but only for those colleagues identified as at-risk that some compulsory redundancies will be necessary.”
A Glasgow Science Centre spokesperson said: "The damaging economic impact of the cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the ongoing pressures faced by third sector organisations across the UK, has meant that the Science Centre, along with other businesses, has faced increased financial challenges since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are currently going through a reorganisation process to address the difficult financial situation we face.
"This includes looking at additional income generation, redeployment, restriction of recruitment, and potential redundancies.
“This is a difficult time for our organisation, and we recognise that staff will be understandably concerned.
"Our management team is committed to supporting our staff through this process, working with Union reps, and doing all we can to keep any redundancies to a minimum.
“We will continue to deliver a five-star experience for all our customers.”
Unite the Union declined to comment to the Scottish Sun.
