Trade union facility time: FOI response (reference 4964)
Contents
Date received
31 March 2022
Date responded
28 April 2022
Information requested
1. A copy of any agreement with your recognised trade unions on trade union facilities time. In the absence of a specific agreement, a copy of a recognition or other agreement that references facilities time.
2. With reference to the amount of facility time reported under Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017 for the year 2020-21. If you didn’t make a return for that year please provide a link to your publication. Where there any particular factors (negotiations, projects etc.) that influenced the amount of facility time that year?
3. List up to three ways how you believe union facility time has benefitted the organisation.
4. List any issues or challenges that have arisen as a result of facility time for your organisation. For example, what works well, or doesn’t work well and any solutions you have applied.
5. List any disputes with your recognised trade unions or employment tribunal claims over facility time in the last five years not covered above.
6. Any other views on facility time arrangements in your organisation not covered by the above.
Response
As set out in our Trade Union Facility Time Disclosure, we recognise the benefits of a positive and open relationship with our recognised trade unions. As part of our commitment to working in partnership we offer paid facility time to our work place representatives to enable them to carry out union activities and duties. As an organisation, we derive benefits from allowing paid facility time.
How our staff feel about working at Scottish Enterprise is important to us and listening and acting on their feedback is a key part of that. We offer a wide range of opportunities to hear and engage staff so they can shape all aspects of how we work and what we do. As part of this we recognise the benefits of having developed co-operative working relationships with our recognised trade unions and ensure they are engaged in business changes through our formal working groups such as the Terms and Conditions Sub Group and our Joint Committee for Negotiation and Consultation (JCNC). We also have regular informal meetings, for example fortnightly meetings with our trade union and our CEO and bi-annual meetings with the union and our Chair. We have a Health & Safety Committee which includes union representatives, employees and management. These committees meet quarterly.
We also recognise the potential for trade union duties to have an impact on the delivery of individuals’ objectives or wellbeing if there isn’t an appropriate balance in time commitment. Our response to your specific questions is as follows:
1. Copy of agreement provided at Appendix A.
2. A copy of our disclosure for 2020-21 is provided at Appendix B, this can also be accessed from our website.
3. Please see summary note above and our statement from our CEO in the attached 2020-21 disclosure.
4. and 5. Please see our summary note above.
While we have attempted to release as much information to you as possible, please be aware that some of the information has been withheld. It is our view that the release of the full information would be in contravention of the data protection principles, and as such, exemption 38(1)(b) ‘personal data’ has been applied and that information redacted.
Contact us
For further information please contact our communications team, quoting the FOI reference number.