Staff at an under-fire cycling charity claim they were made redundant in the middle of their shift.
Despite an ongoing campaign to see the cycling track at Free Wheel North transferred to a new owner, four workers were laid off suddenly last Wednesday.
A protest was held on Sunday afternoon at the gates of the Glasgow Green facility.
The service provides cycling activities for disabled children and adults, with secondary schools and primary schools using the track regularly.
It has a centre in Maryhill and also a cycle track at Glasgow Green, which is now under threat due to funding problems.
As told in the Glasgow Times earlier this month, a rift between management and staff brought issues at the charity to crisis point.
READ MORE: Campaigners aiming to take over popular Glasgow Green bike hub
Four staff members were served with notice that their jobs could be made redundant.
But, despite ongoing talks, workers were booted off the track on Wednesday.
One staff member had been with the charity for eight years and said children were using the cycle track while they were asked to leave.
Free Wheel North was referred to watchdog Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) over concerns around bullying and poor management and an investigation is under way.
Norman Armstrong, who founded Free Wheel North in 2008, told the Glasgow Times previously that funding had been withdrawn due to the OSCR probe triggered by staff.
But a letter sent to the four staff, and seen by the Glasgow Times, says the cycle centre is generating "insufficient funds to cover its expenditure and is operating at a loss of around £4500 per month".
Mr Armstrong said he had sacrificed two thirds of his salary over 10 years in order to build up financial reserves "for the investment and growth" of Free Wheel North.
He said: "We burned through £80,000 of those reserves, placing the charity in a perilous position.
"None of the other three projects of the charity, that is both cafes and a woodwork project, have received a penny out of reserves, the cycling centre was the sole beneficiary.
"Moreover, the reputational damage makes it unlikely we will get funding anytime soon."
The staff have received political support from SNP MP Alison Thewliss and now Greens councillor Holly Bruce is backing workers.
Glasgow Green councillors have been working closely with the campaign group on how both services and jobs can be retained.
Holly, the Glasgow Green Group’s Active Travel spokesperson, said: "There’s a clear dependency on this service which is not replicated anywhere else in the city.
"It provides disabled people the confidence and freedom to walk, wheel and cycle in a safe environment.
"With the recent publication of the council’s ambitious active travel strategy and clear commitment to equality, we commit to exploring every avenue possible to ensure it’s protected."
It is understood conversations are ongoing with council officers on the future of the cycling centre with Green councillors pushing for both the jobs and the cycling service to be prioritised and retained.
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