NIPSA Response to DfC’S Consultation on the Potential Dissolution of the Local Government Staff Commission

NIPSA welcomes this opportunity to comment on the previous decision taken to dissolve the Local Government Staff Commission, although must criticise the short timeframe, over a key holiday period, within which responses have been sought. We therefore reserve the right to provide further feedback at a later stage, if necessary, and believe that the time is right for the Department to commence open and engaging dialogue with key stakeholders to inform a review of the previous decision.

Much has changed across Local Government since the original decision to dissolve the LGSC was reached in July 2012. Whilst those involved in the Review of Public Administration from 2014 to date had imagined transformation of the Local Government sector would be complete by now, unfortunately this is far from the case. Transformation of the 11 Councils has proven to be a highly complex and, at times very frustrating, ongoing and almost cyclical process. Both Trade Unions and Employers have deeply valued the assistance and the support that the LGSC has provided during a time of significant change, despite LGSC resources being severely depleted, and NIPSA would advocate that this support should be facilitated to continue. Transformation of the amalgamated Council structures is far from complete, and there remains much work to be done to harmonise and level up terms and conditions of employment and negotiate sector-wide Council policies and procedures.

With the NI Joint Council dormant for many years, no collective bargaining unit for Local Government across NI currently exists. This is the only public sector area across NI that does not have collective bargaining machinery. Recognising this gap/opportunity, NIPSA, together with our sister Trade Unions, have been working closely with members from the LGSC to re-establish a Local Government Collective Bargaining Framework for the sector, with the LGSC helpfully facilitating the discussions with both the Trade Unions and Employers. NIPSA believes that final agreement will not be reached without continued support from the LGSC.

NIPSA understands that the LGSC also provides HR support to the NI Housing Executive and with the results of the ongoing review of the NIHE not yet clear, both NIPSA and the NIHE would welcome its continued support on a plethora of levels that at the moment only the LGSC is in a position to provide.

A key question that remains unanswered is – if the LGSC is dissolved, how and by whom does the Department consider the following services currently provided by the LGSC will be delivered across the Local Government sector?

1. LGSC Key Statutory Functions including:

a. Collective Bargaining/Industrial Relations machinery;

b. Code of Recruitment and Selection;

c. Code of Conduct;

d. Transformation of Local Government Management Unit.

2. Ongoing Non Statutory Functions, including:

a. Mental Health and Well-being Strategy – creation, training, implementation, review and monitoring;

b. Talent Management, recruitment and selection and promotional processes which negates the necessity for costly external involvement which can result in delays in completion;

c. Sustainability throughout and post-Covid and developing evolving new ways of working.

NIPSA would question who else has the willingness or capacity to perform these collective functions independently and act constructively from genesis through to implementation? Surely the Department would hold a conflict of interest and therefore be unable to perform these functions itself?

NIPSA recognises that the resources and structure of the LGSC have been severely depleted since 2015 and would therefore advocate the continuation and evolution of a modern Local Government Staff Commission, fully resourced and structured to be able to continue to support the Local Government Employers and Trade Unions throughout and beyond Local Government transformation completion.

Kim Graham

Assistant Secretary