Proposed
Hastings Borough Council Restructure
Introduction
The following paper
presents a number of points in relation to the reorganisation; both
procedure and proposed structure.
Unison feels there has been inadequate consultation with staff, the
majority of whom will be directly affected by the restructure of senior
management.
We feel the way the
restructure has been handled, which we believe has been by making all
senior officers redundant before applying for Assistant Chief Executive and
other posts, is unacceptable management practice and sends a deplorable
signal to the rest of the staff in relation to the way any future
restructures will be handled.
There has been no
meaningful consultation with staff side and Unison feels it has been railroaded
into consulting members on options which both lack clarity and detail. Unison feels the expectation to
consult members on issues of major upheaval, in an unrealistic timetable is
unacceptable.
Procedure for Restructure
Unison does not and cannot
support the proposed restructure for the following reasons;
- Unison were not involved in any consultation
over proposed restructuring of the Council until presented with
options which had clearly taken many months to develop.
- The Hastings Branch Secretary was informed
of the timetable for restructure as late as March 2003.
- Under the timetable, the Chief Executive
stated that Hastings Staff Side representatives would be consulted
informally at the Staff and Management Forum of 7th April
2003. This was the first
time that Unison had been presented with any proposed structures.
- At no point in the Chief Executive’s
timetable is there a statement to undertake a consultation with all
HBC staff or to formally consult Unison - only to consult on the implementation
after cabinet approval!
- Unison felt it had a duty to inform its
membership of the proposed options for restructure and forward
comments to the Chief Executive prior to the next stage in his
timetable. This meant an
entire staff side consultation exercise had to be undertaken on the
most profound restructure the Council has witnessed for many years, in
a matter of days. We
enclose a copy of Unison’s initial response to the proposals on the 7th
April.
- Unison is still awaiting an acknowledgement of
our initial comments.
- Unison, however, have felt unable to
undertake any meaningful consultation with members and engage adequate
dialogue, as no details on the implications for any staff posts were
provided.
- Unison have seen no reports from the Chief
Executive’s ‘Critical Friend’ which appear to have informed decision
making in this process.
- The Chief Executive stated at S&M on 7th
April 2003 that the restructure of senior staff would have no effect
on the rest of the workforce.
Unison believes this view is either misguided and naive or
displays a wholesale disregard and lack of understanding for the views
and feelings of the majority of staff who work exceedingly hard for
HBC. Unison is uncertain
which.
- On the options that were presented to Unison,
it was clear some middle managers had suddenly lost their staff and
entire sections appeared to have been moved from one department to
another. Again, no prior
discussion or consultation had taken place with affected staff and
managers. This was a surprise
which has proved to be unsettling to managers and staff affected. Unison also feels this
displays a wanton disregard for the feelings of affected staff and
provides a perfect example of how, we feel, staff reorganisations
should not be conducted.
- We understand that Cabinet are being asked
to approve one of the proposed options at the Cabinet meeting on 6th
May. Unison has not been
consulted on this option and feels Elected Members have not been
briefed on the full implications for the proposals.
- The continuing endeavours of the Chief
Executive to present Unison with reorganised staff structures that are
a fait accompli with the expectation we will consult with members is
not acceptable. We have
not been consulted on the lead up to the first options and have not
been consulted on the option before Cabinet. The words negotiation and consultation would appear
to Unison to have lost all meaning.
- Unison understands that the management style
and practices adopted through this process has been to set officer
against officer, make senior officers redundant and then propose
subjecting them to psychometric tests for fewer posts. Unison is firmly against any
management practice which makes officers redundant before asking them
to reapply for a limited number of jobs.
Implications
Unison believes the
knock-on effect of this restructure in Hastings Borough Council will be
profound and the confusion and uncertainty being felt by Council staff at
present is a clear indication that every member of staff is directly
affected by this restructure.
Unison believes the way
the restructure of senior management has been undertaken is divisive and
humiliating to the officers involved and displays an aggressive, draconian,
and bullying management style, the likes of which staff in Hastings Borough
Council have not been subject to before. The resultant corporate management team will, Unison
believes, have been subjected to humiliating and demeaning management
tactics, including, we believe redundancy, the result of which will be as
far from an integrated, cohesive, positive, management team as could be
realistically imagined.
Unison require
assurances that similar ‘Darwinian’, survival of the fittest, style
management tactics will not be translated throughout the rest of the
organisation to other members of staff.
Staff feel demoralised
and uncertain about the future.
There is genuine concern by Hastings Borough Council staff over
their futures within the organisation when they see the aggressive
management style which has been employed against senior officers.
A previous paper by the
local branch asserts that Unison does not believe a case has been made to
undertake such a root and branch restructure in the ‘Year of
Delivery’. Unison would remind
elected members that the background work to delivering services is
conducted by the staff of the Council. De-motivated staff do not deliver outputs efficiently.
We have not been
presented with evidence to show the proposals are a precursor to a more
effective and efficient service delivery. In this vain, Unison feels that whist the current
proposals may be shaped by the current demands of CPA, we feel insufficient
thought has been given to marrying those demands with future targets. This, Unison believes, is
sufficient reason for pausing this particular process.
Conclusions
Unison cannot support
the proposed staff restructure as presented to Cabinet.
There has been no
meaningful or adequate staff consultation.
We feel there has been
inadequate thought or discussion given to how this proposal will affect
staff and their ability to deliver services.
Unison is extremely
alarmed and concerned at the style of management which has been displayed
to reach this point and are concerned for our membership on the knock on
effects which, we feel will continue to reverberate amongst rank and file
staff.
Unison can no longer be
expected to present options and structures to Unison members on proposals
the Chief Executive has predetermined and prejudged and not been subject to
rigorous consultation and adequate review of implications.
Unison do not view this
process as meaningful consultation with the local Staff Side
representatives and we cannot expect this to be seen by our membership as
meaningful consultation with them.
Any proposed restructure
should be developed through the full support of staff with full reasoned
and costed arguments on proposals which will truly deliver effective and
efficient working practices in order to deliver Council priorities in this
Year of Delivery.
Recommendation
Unison request Cabinet
postpone any decision on the reorganisation until meaningful dialogue can
be undertaken with both Unison representatives, both regionally and
locally, and all other staff in the Council.
Mary Laxton
Unison Regional Officer
2/5/03.
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