No consultation over £25m leisure contract say officials
Trade union Unison say there has been no consultation with them over the tendering process which could see Stirling Council’s sports facilities fall into private hands.
Union members were last night (Thursday) due to lobby councillors as they arrived at Old Viewforth for the crucial council meeting to discuss the tender.
Officials are recommending a 25-year contract worth £25 million be awarded to private company Sports Leisure Management, who say they will run the facilities as a charitable trust.
However, SNP councillors have branded the move privatisation and a threat to services.
And more than 1500 people have signed a Facebook petition, urging councillors to leave management of the The Peak and Stirling Sports Village with rival bidder Active Stirling, the leisure trust which has run the facilities on the council’s behalf since 2006.
Labour councillors have all this week been meeting both unions and officials with the aim of finding a solution which “safeguards the public provision of leisure services”, an insider told the Observer.
Unison Stirling branch secretary Lorraine Thomson said they remain concerned about the proposal and would be urging councillors not to make any hasty decisions.
Ms Thomson said they had a number of members among Active Stirling’s 200-strong workforce and added: “There has been no consultation with the trades unions regarding this process and it is disappointing that, despite a commitment
from the council not to privatise services, this is now the position.”
Stirling Unison has huge concerns about the proposal, particularly as it does not make reference to the Scottish living wage, trade union recognition, TUPE (rules which protect workers terms and conditions when a firm is taken over) or any job losses.
Ms Thomson said: “They say that this will make £2 million worth of savings in the first five years but the proposal does not outline how this will be achieved.
“It is further concerning that this proposal boasts that this is the best way forward to improve service delivery and health outcomes. However, there appears to be no evidence that would support this at this stage.
“We are willing to consult with Stirling Council and listen to what they have to say. However, as it stands we are firmly against the privatising of our sports and leisure services.”
Although the SNP Group say they will reject the recommendation to award the contract to SLM Ltd, it is not clear how the Tory/Labour administration or Green councillor Mark Ruskell will vote.
A briefing to staff leaked to the Observer gives further details about the two bids.
Active Stirling were planning to deliver the contract in partnership with Greenwich Leisure Ltd, which is registered as an industrial provident society, described as a type of mutual society used by organisations to trade as a cooperative or for the benefit of the community.
In 2015 GLL had 230 facilities including leisure centres, play centres and libraries, run in partnership with 40 councils and other organisations.
Active Stirling staff were told surplus cash raised from the operation of the Stirling facilities could be reinvested across the GLL group rather than in the Stirling area.
SLM Ltd, part of Bridge of Allanbased Castle View Group, plan to run the facilities as a charitable trust.
The memo states: “As financial governance of a charity does not allow for repatriation of funds to either individual trustees or private companies, there is no legal scope for money to flow back to the parent organisation or Castle View.
“Therefore written into the new contract for the new trust in Scotland will be that any surplus generated will be reinvested into the community across Stirling to enhance the provision of sport, etc.”