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Daily Record
01-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Stirling Council under fire over staff contract changes as union mulls action
The controversial changes - voted through by councillors by a tight margin - would see changes to redundancy terms and also the introduction of settlement agreements for employees approved for voluntary redundancy. Stirling Council is facing a backlash from staff after controversial changes were made to their terms and conditions, including future redundancy payments. Management said the moves - voted through by Conservative and SNP councillors - would ensure 'tasks not people' would be considered redundant, create a 'talent pool' within the council, and would a better use of taxpayers' money. However, the Labour minority administration and Green councillor Alasdair Tollemache backed the view of UNISON, the largest union, which said the new system would 'strip' and reduce the terms, conditions and workplace rights of Stirling Council employees, damage morale and the council's reputation, and make it even harder to retain and recruit suitable staff. UNISON now say they have 'no alternative' but to lodge a formal grievance/dispute and consult its members on further action. At a full council meeting on Thursday, councillors considered a paper on the 'Organisational Change Policy'. Key changes include the removal of added years and discretionary enhancements in cases of redundancy. In their place, affected staff would be offered either suitable alternative employment, statutory redundancy pay (the minimum legal entitlement), or placement in a 'talent pool', the details of which critics say remain unclear. The paper also proposes introducing settlement agreements for employees approved for voluntary redundancy, requiring them to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) - commonly dubbed 'gagging clauses' - estimated to cost the council £600 each, and described by the union as a 'bizarre twist'. Despite opposition from the four Labour councillors and Cllr Tollemache, the proposal was passed with the support of the eight SNP councillors present, who sided with the Conservatives to approve the changes. 'Stirling Council's approach is an insult to its dedicated workforce,' said Lorraine Thomson, UNISON Branch Secretary. 'They're pushing drastic changes that make it easier to cut jobs and force loyal employees out, all while refusing basic information.' UNISON local government lead officer David O'Connor added: 'We are in no doubt given the on-going lack of fair funding to local authorities by Scottish Government that existing staff will be left with further work pressures and will essentially be left to carry the load. 'There needs to be a viable alternative to statutory redundancy payments should posts be at future risk. 'However, what's being proposed here lacks detail and has no financial commitment around funding, which is essential to make it work.' The union also say the approach is 'two-tier' given that teaching staff will not be affected as they come under a separate agreement, and that while five other local authorities had taken the same moves, 26 other councils had decided not to go down that route. Council leader, Labour councillor Gerry McGarvey, said: 'This proposal removes security and fairness for employees in the Stirling Council; it also reduces the council's attractiveness as an employer due to fewer protections for employees. 'Instead of working with Labour to bring forward a package which respected workers' rights, the SNP have supported the Tories to weaken terms and conditions.' SNP councillors, however, said 'their' policy had been passed after months of consultation with senior officers and was one of 'no compulsory staff redundancies and a commitment from senior council management to focus on staff retention, training and job security across the council'. SNP group leader Cllr Susan McGill said: 'This policy values employees, recognises employees and demonstrates how important they are to bring about real change in how the council provides services. On something as basic as this, Labour failed to lead.' SNP finance spokesperson Cllr Gerry McLaughlan said the previous system made it 'more attractive' for people to leave the council than to stay, and the council was 'desperately short of trained and experienced people', with management 'strained to the gunnels'. He added: 'The SNP has secured a policy that, quite simply, values people. It retains staff whilst offering meaningful training and security of employment. Contrast that with Labour; happy to take nearly £200,000 in salaries yet too weak to show leadership on behalf of anyone else.' Conservative group leader Cllr Neil Benny said the new policy was 'right and fair both to our employees and to the taxpayers of Stirling'. But Labour councillor David Wilson said the proposals fell 'far short of what is required to provide staff security, fairness and dignity', adding: 'This is a weakening of the council's terms and conditions and is likely to reduce Stirling Council's attractiveness as an employer of choice. The council has already faced challenges in attracting staff for certain posts. 'The creation of a talent pool is ambitious but there's no clear budget or plan for training staff within this pool.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missouri House reviews bill to ban NDAs in child abuse cases
MISSOURI — This week, a Missouri House Committee heard House Bill 709, which is aimed at removing Non-Disclosure Agreements for victims of child sex abuse. Non-Disclosure Agreements, more commonly known as 'NDAs', are legal documents that can prevent parties in cases from discussing specifics of the case, such as a settlement amount. Opponents of the NDAs say they're more used as tools to silence victims from speaking out against their alleged abuser. 'Organizations use these NDAs to silence victims of abuse, and the really sad thing to me about that is healing really only happens in community. When you restrict the survivor's voice and don't allow them to share their experience with other people through things such as non-disclosure agreements that prevents victims of childhood sexual abuse from being able to begin the healing process,' Logan Yandell said. Yandell is a survivor of child sex abuse and says his abuse happened during his time at Kanakuk Camps in Branson, Missouri in the late 2000s/early 2010s. Pete Newman, a worker at the time at the camp was convicted for child sex crimes. Kanakuk has since published a statement online apologizing to victims, those who have come forward and those who may have not, and outlined efforts to ensure abuse doesn't happen at the campgrounds again. HB 709 was introduced by State Rep. Brian Seitz, who represents Taney County. 'This is not just a bill. It's a thread of hope that survivors can cling to. The subject matter of this legislation is serious. Through no fault of their own, children and or the mentally or medically disabled who may have been abused in the past are often unable to come to terms with what has happened to them, due in part to the misuse of NDAs in civil settlement agreements,' Seitz said. 'In short, these are legal mechanisms created to protect trade secrets, not trauma secrets. In states like Missouri, NDAs are often being misused in civil courts to silence victims of childhood sexual abuse and trafficking.' Yandell says he's able to speak about his abuse despite currently being under an NDA due to the vagueness of the document. 'Language of mine luckily was vague enough to where it allowed me some opportunity to use my voice where I've seen other ones that literally made it feel like the victims could not talk to a therapist,' Yandell said. Even though the bill doesn't include language that would impact Yandell and others retroactively, he's still passionate about the effort. 'The language of that bill is not retroactive, so it wouldn't necessarily do anything for me as someone who is currently under an NDA, but what it will do is it will help that the countless generations of survivors that will, you know, unfortunately, have to go through similar experiences that I went through,' Yandell said. Yandell, like many others who spoke at the committee hearing this week, wants to see this bill passed as fast as possible. 'I would love to see it passed unanimously in the House again and sent over to the Senate and let's put it on the governor's desk. You know, let's give Missouri the opportunity to stand up for victims of child sexual abuse. It's a very bipartisan issue. I think everybody agrees that abuse against children is abhorrent and has no place in our society,' Yandell said. 'I'm very confident that the sponsors of this bill will continue to bring it forward until we actually see this thing signed into law, as it should have been a long time ago.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
