Race row e-mail staff allowed back to work

Published on Monday 25 February 2008 09:30

TWENTY-SIX city council employees who were suspended following an investigation into a racist cartoon e-mail have been allowed to return to work.

The workers, from various council departments in different offices across the Capital, have all been disciplined following an investigation, but last week returned to their positions.

They were suspended last month after the "obviously offensive" e-mail came to light when an employee informed managers.

The council confirmed that the staff were now back at work and said the incident had highlighted the need for "diversity awareness training". However, one member of staff said colleagues had been shocked by the apparently lenient action taken. He said the e-mail had been in the form of a cartoon, which featured immigrants who had come to the UK, "taking council houses and claiming benefits".

It is believed some of the staff involved work for the housing department at Chesser House.

"We were expecting people to be sacked over this," said the critical employee. "It doesn't really sit well with a lot of people that they are now back at work. These people have returned to work dealing with people from black and minority groups – the same groups who were ridiculed in this e-mail."

A city council spokeswoman said that following "further disciplinary investigations, appropriate disciplinary action" had been taken against 26 workers, although she could not elaborate on what action that was.

She said: "Their suspensions have been lifted and they are now back at work. The disciplinary action taken in each case reflects the role and responsibilities of the individual concerned, and the action they have taken.

"We have dealt with this incident swiftly and decisively. It has, however, highlighted a need for more diversity awareness training across the council, and arrangements are in place to ensure that this happens."

She added that while nobody was sacked, two people had left the council for "unrelated reasons", while another person's interview was deferred due to "personal circumstances".

Edinburgh's Labour leader, Ewan Aitken, said he would be seeking assurances that the council had "come down as hard as it can" on the employees involved.

He said: "In my view, employees should have the book thrown at them for any discussions that constitute racism – but it needs to be by the book.

"If full disciplinary procedures have been followed, that's the right thing to do.

"If, however, there's evidence the disciplinary process has not been properly followed, then we need to know.

"We need to make sure that we have come down as hard as we can, and I will be asking: 'has the process been properly followed and to the full extent?'"