Report
to the People
9th
December 2002
Good Job, Good Service
As anyone whose company has been taken over by, or merged with, a competitor knows, change in the workplace and the prospect of being transferred to another employer is a stressful experience.
This is especially true for blue collar public sector workers. They remember, during the dark days of Compulsory Competitive Tendering, colleagues being forced to reapply for their jobs to companies offering longer hours, less pay, fewer holidays and no trade union rights.
So it’s understandable that, if you are a member of support staff in an Inverclyde school, you may well be unsettled by talk of a proposed Public Private Partnership deal to renew them. While no-one could argue with a straight face that our schools don’t need to be rebuilt, you can’t blame the staff for being uneasy if they think their jobs could be under attack.
If, though, you are such a worker, there is some reassuring news.
One of the key findings of the Scottish Parliament Finance Committee’s recent major investigation into PPP was that the core employment conditions of workers should be protected.
And, when the whole Parliament came to debate the Committee’s report last Thursday, I was glad to have the chance to underline this point to the Chamber. It is essential for all concerned, I argued, that the workforce is reassured that their interests will be protected. A new building can be as shiny and hi-tech as you like, but without the commitment of skilled staff, service improvements are unlikely to be sustained.
Happily, steps are already being taken.
Following on from the PPP protocol which was recently agreed between the Scottish Executive and the unions, Finance and Public Services Minister, Andy Kerr, has announced that council workers will have their terms and conditions protected by law.
This is not to say, of course, that a PPP deal would automatically mean that the workforce would be transferred. The Committee and the Executive agree that there is a need to consult constructively with the unions. I am confident that trades unions will use their influence in the interests of their members and ensure that in-house teams can continue to deliver an efficient, professional service.
For our public services to succeed, we need to recognise that good customer service and good terms and conditions for staff are not mutually exclusive.
Local authority employees don’t just deliver essential services, they also live in their communities. I am therefore confident that they would wish to enjoy not only secure employment, but improved public services for themselves and their families.
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