Agenda and minutes

Due to the absence of the Chair, Members were asked to elect a Chair for the meeting.

RESOLVED:       That Councillor Gunnell be elected as Chair.

At this point in the meeting, Members are asked to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were asked to declare at this point in the meeting any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests that they might have had in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Fraser declared a personal interest in the general remit of the Committee as a retired member of UNISON and Unite (TGWU/ACTS sections).

Councillor Gunnell also declared a personal interest in the general remit of the Committee as a member of UNISON.

No other interests were declared.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following:

Annexes to Agenda Item 5 on the grounds that they contain information relating to individuals and the financial affairs of particular persons.  This information is classed as exempt under paragraphs 1,2 and 3 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

RESOLVED:       That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of annexes to agenda item 5 (Redundancy) on the grounds that they contain information relating to individuals and the financial affairs of particular persons.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee held on 30 July 2012.

RESOLVED:       That the minutes of the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee held on 30 July 2012 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so.  The deadline for registering is Friday 3 August 2012 at 5.00 pm.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report advises the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee of the expenditure associated with the proposed dismissal of a number of employees on the grounds of redundancy.

Members received a report which advised them of the expenditure associated with the proposed dismissal of a number of employees on the grounds of redundancy.

Details of the three employees were contained as exempt annexes to the report. The annexes were circulated at the meeting, two of the redundancies were voluntary. One of the annexes included a discretionary request for flexible retirement.

RESOLVED:     (i)        That the proposals presented on the grounds of redundancy as detailed in the annexes be considered and noted.

                          (ii)        That the request for flexible retirement be granted.

REASON:           In order to provide an overview of expenditure and to consider whether the Council should exercise its discretionary powers to make enhancements.

The Committee were informed that all redundancies with a total cost of under £25,000 would now be presented in a quarterly report. This would mean that future Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee meetings  would only consider redundancies if there was a total cost  over £25,000 or if a discretionary pension or exit provision had been requested.

Meetings would continue to be scheduled in the Corporate Calendar on a fortnightly basis, but these would be marked as ‘provisional’.  This would then also allow for meetings to be convened to consider other business related to staffing matters and urgent business.

RESOLVED:       That the proposed arrangements regarding the presentation of quarterly reports be noted.

REASON:           In order to keep Members informed of the timetabling and business of future meetings.