City chiefs call for report into cuts gag on teachers

Published on Tuesday 22 March 2011 16:35

CITY leaders have ordered an urgent report on whether council workers are allowed to speak to councillors about job fears.

The call came after the Evening News revealed that teachers were warned not to speak to elected members about the impact of the latest wave of cuts facing the Capital's schools.

Council chiefs have been asked to bring forward an urgent report detailing whether all individuals have the right as constituents to raise issues of concern with their locally elected representatives, even if they are council workers.

The move came after the council confirmed it had sent a letter to some individual school workers as a "reminder of their obligations under the code of conduct for employees", which states that complaints about any aspect of employment "should not be raised directly with elected members, even if you are a citizen of Edinburgh".

The report was called for in an emergency motion by Labour at the policy and strategy committee. The motion gained unanimous backing.

Council leader Jenny Dawe said: "We do not want legitimate concerns about the appropriate way to raise issues to hamper an individual's right to freedom of speech.

"It is important that we have clarity on staff guidelines and are content that these do not impact on the opportunity for open and transparent discussion.

"There are occasions where members of staff have raised matters directly with elected members.

"I would be reluctant to inhibit this if it does not conflict with obligations in the staff code of conduct."

The council wants to save 2.4 million over the next two years by reducing management costs in secondary schools by cutting deputy head and principal teacher numbers as well as another 736,000 removing bursar managers.

Councillor Paul Godzik, education spokesman for Labour on the council, said: "There is an urgent need for clarity. Teachers should not be gagged from passing on vital information to councillors.

"Looking forward, we will be setting important policy decisions and we need the fullest information possible. If teachers have genuine concerns then they should be free to approach councillors and share that."

SNP councillor Stuart Roy McIvor, who represents Inverleith, insisted that despite the officials' warning he would not refuse to speak to any teachers who contact him, especially at councillor surgeries. He said: "I would say you should not turn them away if they are a teacher or an employee of any kind. It is confidential; you have got to hear what they are saying.

"I think that when you meet someone in your surgery and see them eyeball to eyeball you get a much better picture of the emotional side of it and you hear their point of view."

Since the Evening News story appeared on Saturday, council officials have clarified that an e-mail reminding staff of their obligations under the staff code of conduct did not go out to all school staff, but rather selected individuals. Communication was also made with the EIS teaching union about the issue.