Civil servants are paid thousands to travel to work after jobs relocation

Published on Tuesday 23 January 2007 01:01

Key quote

"Although a number of staff will receive excess fares initially, this figure is likely to fall off significantly well before the cut-off period is reached. In the longer term, the social and economic benefits will justify the cost." Scottish Executive spokeswoman

HUNDREDS of civil servants are being paid extra to travel to work under the Executive's flagship relocation policy, it was revealed yesterday.

More than 3,000 workers have been relocated under the controversial scheme to move public-sector jobs out of the capital.

Under civil-service rules, however, they are entitled to receive extra cash for the excess cost in travelling to new locations for work.

Yesterday, it was revealed Transport Scotland, which has been moved from Edinburgh to Glasgow, was spending 2,000 a week on fares for 57 of its 250 staff to commute. Audit Scotland has estimated the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, which moved from Edinburgh to Galashiels, will spend more than 92,000 in excess fares over five years.

The Executive was unable to calculate the cost to some 30 other agencies forced to move, but it is expected to run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Civil servants whose commutes have increased because of moves are also taking advantage of flexible hours to include travelling time as part of the working day.

The Executive allows people to include working during the commute as long as they fulfil contracted hours and line managers agree.

Transport Scotland admitted this was a common phenomenon, with staff able to include time spent making phone calls or sending e-mails on the train as part of the working day.

Donna Reynolds, an employment lawyer with CCW, said employers who forced workers to relocate had to take travel into consideration and allow a degree of flexibility for the extra time spent commuting.

The Public Services and Commercial Union, which represents civil servants, said flexible working hours and excess fares were to be expected for relocation.

However, the union has called for a moratorium on all relocations, following concerns that workers are being forced to move against their will.

Audit Scotland, the public-spending watchdog, which has questioned the value for money of relocation, called on the Executive to provide figures on the cost of excess fares to assess the true cost of the official relocation policy.

A spokesman said: "There could well be a high cost of excess fares and we would like to see that looked for and monitored."

Fergus Ewing, the SNP MSP, said it was impossible to support the policy when specific costs could not be given.

The Scottish Executive said the number of workers being paid excess fares was in the low hundreds, as most relocations were too far away to commute, or were within a small distance.

A spokeswoman added: "Although a number of staff will receive excess fares initially, this figure is likely to fall off significantly well before the cut-off period is reached. In the longer term, the social and economic benefits will justify the cost."