Workers’ redeployment is vital

Council staff retasked to keep services running

Council workers in Tayside and Fife are preparing for redeployment to keep vital services running, with a warning to some their pay could be hit if they refuse.

Critical public services are being delivered, from 24-hour care in homes, meals on wheels services, emptying the bins and manning makeshift education hubs.

Perth and Kinross staff were emailed at the weekend and told they will be expected to carry out “reasonable duties” or face pay “being affected”.

Some can expect to work from home doing jobs with which they are already but others could be given roles very different to the norm.

Chief executive Karen Reid, who has been in talks with trade unions about the proposals, said: “Our staff, as you would expect, are being retasked and redeployed into providing essential services that support the health, wellbeing and safety of our citizens.

“While you will not see our usual standard of performance, please understand that we are doing all we can to protect human life and must deploy our finite resources to this.”

Employees are being told that their holidays could be cancelled in “exceptional circumstances”.

Those who have a genuine reason that prevents them from carrying out new duties are told to speak to their line manager.

They have also been told that failure to carry out reasonable work or redeployment “could result in your pay being affected”.

Meanwhile, Fife Council chief executive Steve Grimmond paid tribute to health professionals and local authority employees.

He said: “We’ve clearly got a number of frontline services that we need to keep running and they are increasingly working in emergency mode, just with the sheer challenge they are facing.

“We’ve got a number of staff working from home, and staff who are either having to self-isolate or who are unwell.

“One of the things we’ve been doing is focusing on is how we can try to ensure we can shift and move staff who are willing to work in other areas, and I’ve been really heartened by the sheer volume of staff prepared to turn their hands to whatever’s needed.

“We’re trying to identify the roles that are under real critical pressure, and then we’ve got to identify who we’ve got in the workforce who are willing and able and can move into other roles.”

The council has also teamed up with Fife Voluntary Action to launch a service to help co-ordinate people.

Through the Helping Hand register, people will be signposted to appropriate charities or community groups.

Fife Voluntary Action has also partnered with NHS Fife, Fife’s health and social care partnership and the council to launch a prescription delivery service.

Angus Council hierarchy has saluted the early response to the pandemic from its staff and communities.

Administration leader David Fairweather said he was “in awe” of council employees and chief executive Margo Williamson has pledged the authority is doing “all it can” to keep vital services running.

Mr Fairweather said: “I want to reassure our communities that every sinew is being strained in our efforts to support them and maintain business as usual wherever possible.

“Our staff and their families are not exempt from the impact of coronavirus. We are seeing our resilience and ability to provide essential services tested every day and this will not be over in short order.

“I am in awe of our staff for the way they have responded to this emergency, both at work and at home. I am also massively encouraged by the fortitude that our citizens across the seven burghs of Angus have already shown.

Council chief executive Mrs Williamson said: “We are doing all we can to ensure that vital services keep running.”

The leader of Dundee City Council praised staff as child care facilities for vulnerable young people and the children of key workers in eight centres opened across the city.

Councillor John Alexander said: “The way that our employees and staff from some of our partner agencies have responded to the urgent need for these facilities has been incredible.

“Colleagues from Tayside Contracts and other partners have also been instrumental in setting up these essential child care facilities as quickly as possible.

“Like all organisations, we are seeing significant levels of absence as a result of the measures being put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. That means we are having to focus on essential services, and there will be some inevitable disruption.”

He called on residents to treat staff working to deliver vital services to the city with respect and consideration.