Strategic Partnership – Bulletin 1 – 19 November 2008

This is the first of a series of bulletins that will be produced on this topic. Bulletin 1 contains the key points from the branch meeting held to discuss the outsourcing on 11 November 2008 – strategicpartnershipbulletin1

A lot of questions were also raised at the meeting. The answers can be viewed here – answersstrategicpartner11november2008

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Councillor Peter Kent-Baguley reports on the ‘debate’ over the plans to outsource staff in Property and IT. Staff await the promised consultation, but it looks like the decision has already been made….

Update – 15th August

The minutes of the Scrutiny meeting are now available here. It is quite bewildering to see how the committee decided to overrule to call for a full debate on this major decision, when you read the searching questions asked by a number of councillors. It is clear councillors have major reservations about the business case for this adventure, what impact it will have on staff, Stoke town centre, control, accountability and will it really kick start the business quarter.

The minutes conclude with the vote :

A Motion, moved by Councillor J. Davis and seconded by Councillor Rigby, ‘that the
Transformation and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee agree that the
Executive and Members Board decision of 2 July 2008 – Support Services – Strategic
Partner Proposals Delivery be referred to full Council for full democratic consideration
of such a fundamental proposal to change the structure of the Council’s administration
and delivery of services’, was lost by five votes to three.

It would be interesting to find out which councillors voted against this motion.

I urge you to read the full minutes and tell us what you think about the process.

 

24 July 2008:

The controversial plans to outsource over a 1000  jobs have been called in Councillors. A full review of the business case will now take place in public. Full story here.

Staff have yet to be told officially what is planned, and how this move will ‘give them better job prospects’.

With the imminent resignation of the Chief Executive, will the plans now be shelved until the new person takes charge? That could take 12 months at least.

The Branch Executive meets today, and an action plan will be developed to challenge the plans to outsource our jobs.

Give us your thoughts by clicking on the comments button.

 11 July 2008:

Although it seems the plans to outsource 1300 jobs went through on the nod at the Executive meeting, a number of Councillors outside of the coalition have started to ask some searching questions. According to a report in the Sentinel, staff meetings will be held in the next few weeks, but staff are still in the dark over their future.

Clrr Peter Kent Baguley’s blog questions the democratic process being used.

Cllr Davis writing in the Sentinel and another letter

Unison will be challenging the decision to outsource jobs – Colin Walton, branch secretary, said: “We are opposed to the plans in principle because we oppose the privatisation of public services.”