Issue - meetings

“Council values the excellent and mutually respectful working relationship which it has with both the workforce and their Trade Unions.

Council considers this positive relationship to be one which benefits both workers and the city alike and respects the need for Trade Union representatives to use facility time to conduct their legitimate business.

Council supports the collection of dues through the check-off arrangement, from which the Council receives income, and defends these Trade Union arrangements.

Council believes that the Trade Union Bill, proposed by the current Conservative UK Government, will restrict the ability of this Council to engage in good industrial relations practices with our workforce and their Trade Union representatives.

Council commits not to use agency staff to break or weaken industrial action in relation to this matter, and requests the Council Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills stating the Council’s opposition to this Bill and our resolve not to co-operate with any attacks on facility time or check-off.”

Ruled incompetent

The Council had before it the following notice of motion by Councillor Jackie Dunbar:-

“Council values the excellent and mutually respectful working relationship which it has with both the workforce and their Trade Unions.

Council considers this positive relationship to be one which benefits both workers and the city alike and respects the need for Trade Union representatives to use facility time to conduct their legitimate business.

Council supports the collection of dues through the check-off arrangement, from which the Council receives income, and defends these Trade Union arrangements.

Council believes that the Trade Union Bill, proposed by the current Conservative UK Government, will restrict the ability of this Council to engage in good industrial relations practices with our workforce and their Trade Union representatives.

Council commits not to use agency staff to break or weaken industrial action in relation to this matter, and requests the Council Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills stating the Council’s opposition to this Bill and our resolve not to co-operate with any attacks on facility time or check-off.”

The Lord Provost intimated that he had been advised by officers that the motion was not competent, and he was therefore minded to rule it incompetent. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised that this remained his view on the matter and that he had concerns, particularly in regard to the wording within the final paragraph of the motion.

The Lord Provost ruled the motion incompetent in terms of Standing Order 18(1)(iii).