Council seeks assembly with ministers after being advised to finish four-day week trial
A
native Cambridgeshire council is looking for a gathering with ministers after being ordered to finish its experiment with a four-day week.
South Cambridgeshire District Council had introduced plans to increase its trial till subsequent April however ministers have ordered officers to finish it now.
It was first native authority within the UK to undertake such a trial.
In her letter to native authorities minister Lee Rowley, Liberal Democrat council chief Bridget Smith defended the scheme and stated it had helped handle its reliance on costly company workers.
All councils are anticipated to make sure that finite and beneficial taxpayers’ cash is utilized in a approach which demonstrates worth for cash – one thing which paying staff for an additional day of labor that isn’t carried out is unlikely to show
Mr Rowley wrote to Ms Smith to “ask that you end your experiment immediately” and say he had considerations concerning the “value for money” for native taxpayers.
Ms Smith, in a reply to the minister on Saturday, stated she was “surprised” to obtain the letter and requested for “a meeting with ministers to discuss this matter”.
There has been rising curiosity in four-day week experiments within the UK and globally, with some companies praising the shift to a shorter working week.
A latest UK trial noticed 61 corporations cut back their working hours for all workers by 20% for six months, with a majority deciding to take care of the shorter week.
But Mr Rowley, in a letter dated June 30, stated such a mannequin is inappropriate for native authorities.
“As I am sure you are aware, all councils are expected to ensure that finite and valuable taxpayers’ money is used in a way which demonstrates value for money – something which paying employees for an extra day of work that is not carried out is unlikely to demonstrate,” he wrote.
“I strongly believe in the ability of councils to innovate and find new ways to discharge their responsibilities – yet removing up to 20% of the capacity to do those activities is not something which should be acceptable for a council seeking to demonstrate value for money for its taxpayers and residents.
“Whilst some private sector organisations may choose to experiment with their own capital and capacity regarding ‘four-day working weeks’, local government should not do the same.”
I used to be shocked to obtain Mr Rowley’s letter and we’ve written to him to request a gathering with ministers to debate this matter
He stated such an method might breach the council’s authorized duties below the Local Government Act.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will “shortly be issuing clear guidance” on the matter, Mr Rowley added.
“I look forward to your confirmation that South Cambridgeshire will be returning to established norms around local government workforce capacity in the coming weeks ahead,” he stated.
In an announcement, the council chief stated: “I was surprised to receive Mr Rowley’s letter and we have written to him to request a meeting with ministers to discuss this matter.
“This is a trial, but we have already seen strong independently assessed evidence which showed that performance was maintained, and in some cases improved, in the first three months.
“At the start of our trial we were carrying a £2 million annual agency bill. During the first three months of the trial, we filled four permanent posts that had previously been impossible to fill.
“This has reduced our annual bill by £300,000.
“As time goes on it is becoming increasingly clear that recruitment has been positively affected, both in terms of the quality and number of applicants, and the consequent success in filling vacant posts.”
This transfer by the Government flies within the face of all of the proof which reveals the four-day week has been an enormous success on the council
Campaigners for a four-day week have criticised the transfer.
Joe Ryle, director of the 4-Day Week marketing campaign group, stated: “This move by the Government flies in the face of all the evidence, which shows the four-day week has been a huge success at the council.
“The four-day week with no loss of pay is already being rolled out across the private sector so it’s only fair the public sector are included too.
“There is no good reason to end this trial, which is already bringing many benefits to council workers, local residents and saving the council money.”
Labour chief of Bassetlaw District Council in Nottinghamshire, James Naish, hit out on the “lack of foresight” and stated his native authority was additionally a four-day mannequin as a “way to innovate and ensure vital services are protected, not stopped”.
Jo Maugham, director of The Good Law undertaking, labelled it “bar-stool lawyering par excellence”.
“If Lee Rowley really wants to improve the quality of work funded by the taxpayer, I’d suggest in the future he gets proper independent legal advice before he opines on the law.”
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities “strongly believe in principles of local democracy and local councils can and should continuously look for ways to improve their services”, a spokesman stated.
Asked a few potential assembly, the spokesman stated: “Councils also need to ensure they are giving local taxpayers the best value for money and pressing ahead with the choice to remove up to a fifth of their capacity would need to be backed by clear evidence.”