Agenda item - Proposed New Grievance and Disputes Procedure

Report of the Executive Director for Finance & Resources (copy attached).

1)            That the Committee agrees to adopt a new Grievance Procedure and a separate Disputes Procedure (attached at Appendix 1 and 2), which have been jointly agreed with GMB and Unison.

2)            That the Committee notes that further training for managers will be provided to help equip them to implement the new Procedures appropriately.

3)            That the Committee notes the operation of the new procedures will be reviewed twelve months after their implementation to ensure that timescales and the process for dealing with disputes has improved and is appropriate for the organisation.

4)            That in addition,  the Committee notes that there will be a joint review with the unions after 6 months on the effectiveness of the provision to make a reasonable request to change the hearing manager at Stage 2 of the grievance process (Appendix 1 para 8.5)

5)            That the Committee delegates authority to the Chief Executive to take the steps necessary to implement these recommendations.

12.1       The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Finance & Resources in relation to Proposed New Grievance and Disputes Procedure. The report set out the proposed new procedures and asked the Committee to agree these.

12.2       Following a query from Councillor G. Theobald the Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development clarified the difference between collective disputes and collective grievances as they had now been defined in the relevant procedures.

12.3       In response to Councillor Miller it was noted that there was the potential for collective grievances to be taken forward as collective disputes as a mechanism of having them considered by Members; however the new procedures would be subject to review.

12.4       Councillor Mac Cafferty welcomed the report and the agreement with the unions. In response to a query it was explained that reasonable requests from the unions for another senior manager to hear a case would be considered by the relevant Executive Director.

12.5       At the request of the Chair it was agreed that definitions of the relevant terms would be included in the procedures. The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.

12.6       RESOLVED:

1)        That the Committee agrees to adopt a new Grievance Procedure and a separate Disputes Procedure (attached at Appendix 1 and 2), which have been jointly agreed with GMB and Unison.

2)        That the Committee notes that further training for managers will be provided to help equip them to implement the new Procedures appropriately.

3)        That the Committee notes the operation of the new procedures will be reviewed twelve months after their implementation to ensure that timescales and the process for dealing with disputes has improved and is appropriate for the organisation.

4)        That in addition,  the Committee notes that there will be a joint review with the unions after 6 months on the effectiveness of the provision to make a reasonable request to change the hearing manager at Stage 2 of the grievance process (Appendix 1 para 8.5)

5)        That the Committee delegates authority to the Chief Executive to take the steps necessary to implement these recommendations.