Jim Caldwell: Bullying of staff members at Education Scotland will be tackled

The recent survey results within Education Scotland are not all doom and gloom as your article, “Bullying claims rock Scots school watchdog”, suggests.

The article mentions only briefly that employees of Education Scotland responded positively to the work they were asked to do – one of several positive areas of the survey results.

There are some areas where the survey results are disappointing, but that should not be unexpected. Staff in Education Scotland, along with other workers in the public sector, have had to face a two-year pay freeze and public expenditure cuts that mean they have to do more with fewer resources.

They are also having to pay more for their pensions and will have to work longer before receiving them.

Education Scotland staff have had the particular challenges of dealing with the merger of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and LTS (Learning and Teaching Scotland).

When the merger was announced, the First Division Association FDA (which represents top-level civil servants), along with other unions, including those from the teaching sector, voiced their concerns about the merger, especially about the timetable set out by education secretary Michael Russell for the merger process.

It is clear that this issue has created added pressures on staff within Education Scotland and that this is reflected in some of the survey results.

It is also clear from the survey results that there appears to be an issue around bullying.

The FDA, the union representing the majority of managerial and professional staff within Education Scotland, including inspectors, is in discussions with management about this.

We are seeking to work positively with it to establish the facts behind the survey results, the causes of any bullying, as well as solutions to any bullying culture, if one exists.

The issue of workplace bullying is a serious one and should be treated as such.

• Jim Caldwell is Scottish secretary of the FDA.