Anti-bullying hotline set up for Holyrood staff

Published on Tuesday 24 October 2006 11:37

A CONFIDENTIAL 24-hour hotline is to be set up for stressed out Scottish Parliament workers being bullied and harassed by bosses.

The new service aims to cut sickness levels and will provide advice on debt, benefit entitlement, marital problems and depression. Counselling firm Care First will be paid an annual fee of 14,000 for the next three years to provide the service which is set to be launched next month.

In 2004, a special anti-bullying squad was appointed after an internal audit revealed one in eight members of staff claimed to have suffered from harassment.

The service, which will be available to more than 1000 staff, has been criticised by spending watchdog the Taxpayers Alliance which said it was unfair to offer services that were not available to staff in other industries.

Spokesman Blair Gibbs said: "Anyone can try to justify extra spending on grounds of welfare but why should taxpayers have to pick up the bill for counselling services that aren't available to ordinary people?"