Single Status decision postponed
“A glimmer of hope” says union
CRITICAL discussions on the contentious issue of Single Status are to be continued to a further meeting of Argyll and Bute Council on July 12.
And councillors are optimistic that new proposals may help persuade the unions to accept a deal.
The decision to postpone followed a motion to that effect from the council’s deputy leader, Bute SNP councillor Robert Macintyre, at a full council meeting last week.
Councillor Macintyre told the Observer this week that the discussion in July would centre round a new model to address the issue - model six - which he hoped would take account of what he described as ‘the very real concerns’ of clerical assistants and other lower-graded staff.
“The new council is putting more resources into the scheme,” he said. “I am optimistic that the unions will recognise this and react constructively.”
A union official said on Tuesday that there was ‘a glimmer of hope’ that a settlement of the issue at the root of the problem might still be possible.
Bridget Hunter, UNISON’s full-time officer for Argyll and Bute, said that there was room for negotiation, and that the ‘new model’ might prove the basis for discussion.
“There has been a change of council,” she said. “and I think there has been a realisation of just how important this issue is. I get the impression that there is a will among the new councillors to develop something more appropriate.
“It should be borne in mind that this is an area where everyone knows everyone else. It’s not like a big city where councils operate by remote control - here councillors live among their communities and can see at first-hand the effect of the administration’s policies.”
However, she said industrial action was not being ruled out. “People are jumping about this. The council is the biggest employer in the area; there are families where more than one individual is working for the council, and the cuts will have a huge effect on family budgets, and will also affect the local economy.”
The delay will also allow the unions time to provide further written comments to the council’s chief executive.
The existing proposals, as outlined in the current report -which runs to 60 pages - offer little comfort to employees.
Single Status is a country-wide issue and was driven by the need to address outstanding anomalies in sex discrimination legislation.
However, in addressing this, another can of worms has been opened - and not just in Argyll and Bute. The key element under dispute is a job evaluation exercise which will see large numbers of post-holders not only downgraded, but facing hefty cuts in their salaries as the council seeks to minimise the impact of the changes on its budget.
This has given rise to a flood of complaints from angry council workers.
While the council argues that downgrading is across a wide range of posts, the bulk of the people affected are at the bottom of the scale.
Apart from changes to salaries, there are also changes in payments for premium time.
There would be no payment for unsocial hours, no double time or premium time at weekends. Core hours for staff would be 6am - 8pm Monday to Sunday, and working hours, while based on 37 hours, will be calculated over a year, rather than a week.
This will largely affect employees in libraries, leisure facilities residential units, and home helps; this, the report estimates, will save £450k.
The removal of double time, which will save £150k, is partly justified on sex discrimination grounds, since the vast bulk of those qualifying for the payment are men.
And those who refuse to accept the new conditions face being sacked with the option of their jobs back under the new terms and conditions.
However, the document comments on the pitfalls of this approach, saying that there is ‘a material risk with this process, in that employees will refuse the offer of re-engagement and/or will claim unfair dismissal’.
The report recommends that an attempt be made to reach a collective agreement with the staff’s unions on the new structure.
Crucially, however, in the event of failing to reach an agreeement, the report suggests that authority be given to the Chief Executive to impose the new pay and grading structure.
Single Status doesn’t affect all staff within the council, only manual and some grades of office jobs are affected; unaffected are teaching staff, craft workers and chief officers.
Prior to the meeting, a timetable had been proposed which would have triggered off a consultation period which would have involved terminating the employment of staff unwilling to accept the new conditions and offering them their jobs back on the new terms.
However, at this stage the timetable is on hold.
A council spokeswoman said: “Nothing has or is in the process of being issued to employees.
“What we have issued is a statutory notice to advise trades unions that we are in a period of statutory consultation.
“We continue to negotiate with trades unions with a view to reaching a collective agreement.”


Life saving service to be extended
MSP Jim Mather has welcomed the announcement by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon that a service providing specialist medical care in remote areas will be extended in Argyll and Bute.
A £1.5 million investment by the SNP Government will fund a further 18-month trial of the West Coast Emergency Medical Retrieval Service which airlifts patients to larger hospitals and delivers specialist staff from Glasgow to Argyll and Bute when needed.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am delighted to give the go-ahead to this invaluable service.
“Critical illness and injury can happen anywhere. It is therefore vital that people get rapid and expert treatment.
“Getting very ill patients to the intensive care they require is a major challenge.
“This service will provide safe and secure access to highly experienced accident and emergency department specialists for people in remote communities.
“It will also give support to our practitioners and Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics.”
Argyll and Bute MSP Jim Mather said: “I welcome the Health Secretary’s announcement. This service delivers real benefits to Argyll and Bute providing vital life saving treatment locally and enabling patients in critical condition to get to larger more specialist hospitals.
“The Government is taking the health needs of rural Scotland seriously.
“I have received representations from health professionals across Argyll and Bute calling for this service to be maintained and I am happy that the SNP has been able to deliver that commitment.
“This service alongside our presumption against closing local hospitals is just one first step in our efforts to make Scotland, and Argyll and Bute healthier.”
“People in Argyll and Bute should not be deprived of emergency specialist treatment just because they live in remote areas and this investment shows the SNP will deliver for remote and rural communities.”
NHS Highland has agreed to co-fund the eighteen month pilot of the service which will see experienced consultants fly to the patient to stabilise them ahead of transfer to a hospital which can best meet their needs. They will also be able to advise GPs and local hospital clinicians by phone.
The first twelve months of the trial will cost approximately £1.2 million. An independent evaluation will be undertaken two thirds of the way into this project to assess the benefits of the service.
NHS Highland Chief Executive Roger Gibbins said: “This will provide safe and secure access to highly experienced Accident and Emergency department specialists for people in remote communities who are seriously ill or seriously injured. It will also give support to our practictioners and Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics.”
The Glasgow-based service will cover 16 rural hospitals on the west coast, from Wigtown in the south to Stornoway in the north.
The trial service will cover three rural general hospitals and 13 community hospitals within Argyll and Bute, Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Wigtown, Western Isles, Arran, Cumbrae and Kinloch Rannoch.
It will serve a population of more than 158,000 in five health board areas including NHS Highland, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Western Isles, NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Tayside.
Hospitals in the Argyll and Bute area which will benefit from the service include Dunoon, Oban, Lorne and the Isles, Campbeltown, Lochgilphead, Tighnabruaich and Rothesay.


Concern grows over fading landmark
Local residents concerned about the dilapidated state of a landmark building in Kilmun contacted the Observer this week.
The former Finnartmore Nursing Home property received a Category C(S) listing from Historic Scotland in May 2006. An early-mid 19th century villa, points of interest included its early date, classical design and Greek detail, as well as a number of unusual decorative features.
The development of the Finnartmore site in the 1830s came at the start of a period of expansion in the Shore area, led by the marine engineer David Napier, who built a pier, a hotel and several villas including those known as the ‘Tea Caddies’.
Its current condition is far removed from its starting point as a palatial family home. With heavy weed overgrowth, peeling paint and an air of general neglect and disrepair, the property is one of several in the area which has fallen into dilapidation or semi-ruin.
The owner of the Finnartmore property declined to make any comment to the Observer, but local councillor, Bruce Marshall, said: “Over the past few years, I have received many representations from Shore residents about the poor state of repair of Finnartmore.
“The building was one of the best examples of our Victorian heritage but unfortunately is now in a very poor state of repair.”
Mr Marshall added that his own personal feelings were that the building should be removed and replaced with a suitable development in keeping with its surroundings.
Councillor Ron Simon agreed that the present state of the building is a matter of some regret, and expressed his hope that there would be some action taken sooner rather than later.
Both councillors stated that it is their understanding that the property’s present owner does have plans in place which will be submitted to the National Park Planning Authority in due course, although neither is party to the detail of these.


End of line for doorstep pinta
Local residents have contacted the Observer to express their disappointment at Barclays Dairy Foods Ltd’s cancellation of their milk delivery service. Customers received a short note advising that deliveries had ceased due to staff shortages.
Mr Michael McQueen of Barclays Dairy Foods said: “Unfortunately, we had no option but to cancel the doorstep delivery service with very minimal notice due to shortage of staff. We were unhappy with the manner and speed in which this had to be done, but the only alternative would have been that the milk delivery failed to arrive. The letter was not ideal, but at least we were able to give our delivery customers a little warning that the service would stop.
“The round itself was not economically viable, and we felt unable to attempt to build up a more extensive delivery run, for example in outlying/rural areas, as this would have adversely affected local shops - who are also our customers. We have really found ourselves in a very difficult position here.”
Mr McQueen added that if circumstances do change, they may be able to review the situation, and reiterated the company’s appreciation of customers’ support for the delivery run over many years.