Fight over random testing

West Lothian Council is determined to press on with its plans to introduce random drink and drug tests for drivers of bin lorries and operators of heavy machinery.

Unions continue to oppose the plans first proposed in March 2019 and say the proposal discriminates against a small number of union members.

They argue that random testing should apply across the board for all employees, and have balloted for strike action should the policy be forced on staff.

The council has argued this is impractical and proposes “with cause” testing for all other employees.

A meeting of the council’s Partnership and Resources Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel (PDSP) agreed to delay implementation until next spring to allow investigation into a disputed Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) carried out by HR staff.

The unions questioned the HR assertion that the transportation of clients by council staff working in social policy was too infrequent to qualify for random testing.

In a report to the panel, HR officers said: “The trade union side have proposed that if frequency is of relevance to the transportation of clients, then it should also be of relevance to the use of heavy machinery.”

Cosla has said it is up to individual authorities whether they implement drug / alcohol testing policies.

No other authorities have such policies. Only Shetland Islands council has testing for its sea-going staff.

Questioned by Donald Stavert from Bathgate Community Council on pressures to introduce tests, Graham Hope the council’s chief executive, said: “This council has often been in the vanguard of reform.”

SNP group leader, Councillor Janet Campbell, pointed out that the largest public transport group in the Lothians had introduced random testing but applied to all its staff because it was deemed as “discriminatory to test only bus drivers.”