Local Government Terms and Conditions of Employment
Renfrewshire Council · 20 November 2025
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 20 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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OFFICIAL ___________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources & Customer Services Policy Board On: 20 November 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Report by the Director of Finance & Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Local Government Terms and Conditions of Employment ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 For the past 18 months, Council Officers have been engaged in discussions and negotiations with Unison, Unite, and GMB Trade Unions to agree proposed changes to the terms and conditions of employment for Local Government Employees. These negotiations have focused on modernising outdated arrangements, addressing longstanding concerns, and delivering a sustainable, fair, and inclusive package of conditions that reflects the evolving needs of all employee groups and the communities we serve. 1.2 The proposals, impacting around 6,500 employees, were developed following extensive discussions with Unison, Unite, and GMB Trade Unions. They were designed to promote workforce wellbeing, ensure the continued delivery of high- quality services, and maintain the Council’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining talent within a changing public sector landscape. The approach was fully aligned with the Council’s People Strategy and supports long-term sustainability and organisational priorities. 1.3 Members will recall receiving a series of progress reports on these negotiations over the past year, with the most recent updates presented for noting in September of this year. At that time, Members were advised of the status of discussions with the Trade Unions, that officers were prepared to implement the proposals promptly should the ballot return an acceptance, and that formal negotiations would conclude if the ballot returned a rejection, as all reasonable efforts to reach agreement had been made. Members were also advised they would receive a final update at the 20 November Policy Board detailing the ballot outcome and the Council’s intended next steps.
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OFFICIAL 1.4 As noted in the update report to Members In early September, a revised and final offer was made to the Trade Unions, reflecting a significant shift in the Council’s position in response to feedback in key areas. The offer was built on years of investment in our people, shaped by the People Strategy and supported by strong partnership working with Trade Unions. 1.5 At the time of writing, Trade Unions were in the process of arranging ballots to be conducted. Council officers believed that this final offer presented a progressive and sustainable package that if agreed, would mark a major step forward in modernising our employment framework for years to come, embedding consistency, flexibility, inclusion, and positioning the Council as a leader in balanced workforce reform. 1.6 As part of our commitment to open and inclusive communication, Council officers delivered a comprehensive communications campaign to ensure our people fully understood the proposals. This included a series of Rentalk sessions where employees could hear detailed information about the offer, in-person sessions within services were held for front line employees, and individual letters were sent directly to all c.6500 of the Council’s workforce setting out the offer and the associated impact on them. A dedicated mailbox was available for enquiries, supported by regularly updated FAQs, and updates were shared widely across the organisation. These measures ensured employees had multiple opportunities to access information and seek clarification ahead of the ballots. 1.7 Trade unions conducted their ballots between September and October. The Council has now received the formal results, which are as follows: 1.8 As Members will note, all three Trade Unions have unanimously rejected the Council’s offer. As a result, the formal negotiation process has ended, and no further changes will be made to the current offer. While formal negotiations have concluded, Officers will hold a debrief with Trade Union colleagues in the coming weeks to understand the reasons behind the outcome. This will help identify whether concerns relate to specific elements of the offer, rather than the overall package. If there is clear scope for meaningful progress on these areas, options for future engagement may be considered. Further discussions will only proceed where there is a realistic prospect of reaching an agreement. In such circumstances, Officers will submit reports to Members for their consideration 1.8 Members are therefore asked to approve the standard public holidays attached at Appendix 1 for 2026. Trade Union Turnout Accept (%) Reject (%) Unison 34% 26% 74% Unite 57% 22% 78% GMB 65% 8% 92%
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OFFICIAL __________________________________________________________________ 2 Recommendations 2.1 Elected Members are asked to: • Note the summary of the Council’s offer to the Trade Unions to modernise the terms and conditions of employment, as outlined in section 3 of this report. • Note that all reasonable efforts have been made by the Council to secure agreement on a revised package of terms and conditions. • Note formal negotiations with Unison, Unite, and GMB Trade Unions on the Council’s current offer have now concluded. • Note the ballot results from each Trade Union, detailed in section 1.6 of this report, confirms that all three unions have rejected the Council’s offer. • Note Communications will be issued to employees outlining the results. • Approve the standard public holidays for 2026. ___________________________________________________________________ 3 Summary of the offer presented to the Trade Unions 3.1 Following extensive discussions, negotiations, and feedback from the Trade Unions, the summary below was presented to Trade Union colleagues for ballot: 3.2 Public Holidays –The Council proposed converting four public holidays into annual leave, rather than the original planned six. This change would not reduce leave entitlement for employees. Instead, it was intended to offer greater flexibility by giving employees more choice over when they take their leave. In addition, the value and structure of the proposed one-off compensation payment was significantly strengthened to reflect the potential impact on future overtime earnings. Trade Unions have indicated greater confidence in the proposed tiered approach to the one-off payment, which was based on actual earnings and reflects a fair and practical method of application. 3.3 Annual leave - The Council further strengthened its annual leave proposals to deliver a more inclusive and equitable outcome for all employees. Initially designed to benefit a portion of the workforce, the updated offer ensured that every employee would gain earlier access to enhanced leave entitlements. These changes responded directly to Trade Union concerns, particularly around limited benefits for those with under 10 years or over 20 years of service and include improvements to entry-level leave. The Council also addressed the impact of removing the legacy festive closure arrangements by enhancing annual leave entitlements ensuring no employee was disadvantaged by this change. This reinforced the Council’s commitment to consistency, wellbeing, and fair employment practices, and based on benchmarking with other local authorities, would have positioned the Council as having amongst the most progressive leave entitlements in Scotland.
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OFFICIAL 3.4 Standardising the approach to carrying forward annual leave from one year to the next - The Council proposed to introduce a more flexible approach to annual leave carry-forward. All employees would have been able to retain up to five unused days from one leave year to the next, with the option to use them at any point before 31 December, rather than 31 January as previously proposed. In exceptional cases, additional days would have been able to be carried forward with appropriate approval. To support wellbeing and ensure leave is used regularly, quarterly reminders would have been issued through Business World, and managers will actively encourage staff to take their leave throughout the year. 3.5 Recognising NHS Employment as Continuous Service - To improve recruitment from the health sector, the Council planned to formally recognise previous NHS service as part of continuous employment. While local government service is already acknowledged by the NHS, this reciprocal arrangement has not yet been adopted by the Council. This could have been introduced locally through a policy update. Aligning with wider public sector practices would have helped attract skilled candidates and ensure a more consistent and equitable approach across public service roles. 3.6 Day of No Work Requirement - The Council proposed ending the long-standing festive closure arrangement for non-essential services, which includes a designated “day of no work requirement” between Christmas and New Year. While this arrangement has historically benefited office-based staff, it no longer reflects the way services are delivered or the needs of the community. Reopening services during this period would have helped ensure vital support remains available, particularly for vulnerable residents. Following discussions with Trade Unions, the Council confirmed that no employee will be disadvantaged by this change. Any impact would have be recognised through adjustments to annual leave provisions, ensuring fairness across the workforce. Employees would still have been able to request leave during the festive period, and guidance would have been developed to support consistent and equitable decision-making. 3.7 Flexible Working Hours Scheme (Flexitime) - The Council’s Flexible Working Hours Scheme, introduced over two decades ago, has enabled office-based and hybrid employees to adjust start and finish times and accrue flexi leave. However, as working practices have evolved, particularly with the rise of hybrid working, the scheme now benefits only part of the workforce, creating an imbalance for frontline staff who often lack similar flexibility. To address this, the Council, in agreement with Trade Unions, committed to modernising the scheme to ensure a fairer and more consistent experience for all employees. The intention was to replace the current scheme with a new, inclusive model that upholds the principles of flexibility, trust, and work-life balance. This approach would have continued to support flexible working patterns and guarantee that any additional hours worked are returned. Importantly, the Council and Trade Unions agreed to work collaboratively to design and agree on the new framework, ensuring it reflected the diverse needs of the workforce and promotes equity across all roles and services.
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OFFICIAL 3.8 Redeployment and Cash Conservation - The Council has long supported redeployment and salary conservation as part of its approach to managing organisational change. These arrangements help maintain employment security by identifying suitable alternative roles for employees whose posts are impacted by service redesign. While redeployment remains a vital tool, the practical application of salary conservation has presented challenges over time, particularly around consistency and fairness. Although relatively few cases arise each year, concerns raised by Trade Unions have highlighted the need for a more modern and transparent approach. The Council therefore agreed with the Trade Unions to carry out a joint review of the current redeployment and salary conservation arrangements. This work would have focused on developing a fairer, more inclusive model that reflects the realities of service change and supports employees through transition. The review would have explored options such as direct matching, retraining, and flexible support, with a shared commitment to minimising any negative impact on employees. Salary conservation support would be managed on a case-by-case basis to better reflect individual circumstances and sector best practice. 3.9 Overtime Working - Overtime remains an important tool for enabling the Council to respond to fluctuating service demands, urgent priorities, and short-term pressures. It provides operational flexibility and helps reduce reliance on temporary staffing. However, it must be managed carefully to control costs and safeguard employee wellbeing. Rather than changing existing overtime rates, the Council proposed introducing a refreshed policy to ensure consistency and fairness in how overtime is applied across services. Following constructive discussions with Trade Unions, a joint commitment was made to develop a new Overtime Policy. This would include regular monitoring of overtime patterns to identify where recurring use indicates the need for more sustainable staffing solutions. The Council also agreed to work with managers to explore converting persistent overtime into permanent roles where appropriate. Through better planning and collaborative oversight, the aim was to ensure overtime remains a responsible, equitable, and well-governed aspect of workforce management. 3.10 Notice Periods - The Council is reviewing its current notice period arrangements to create a more consistent and operationally effective framework. The existing structure, which varies based on pay frequency, has been in place for some time but is increasingly seen as outdated. Short notice periods can lead to service disruption, particularly in roles that are difficult to recruit to or require specialist skills. To address this, the Council proposed a revised approach that sets notice periods according to job level rather than pay cycle. The Council therefore proposed that employees in roles up to grade 9 would have given four weeks’ notice, while those in senior positions, grades 10–16, would have provided eight weeks. This change was intended to support smoother workforce transitions and align with wider public sector practice. Flexibility would have remained, allowing earlier release dates where operationally feasible and agreed with managers.
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OFFICIAL 3.11 Temporary Employees - At the request of Trade Unions, the Council agreed to carry out a focused review of temporary contracts that have been in place for two years or more. This exercise would have involved close collaboration with service managers to assess whether there is an ongoing operational need for these roles. Where a sustained requirement is identified, the Council agreed to consider converting temporary posts into permanent positions, if suitable. While any changes would have depended on available resources and service priorities, this review would have reflected a shared commitment to improving job stability and promoting fair work. By working in partnership with Trade Unions, the Council hoped to strengthen workforce planning and ensure that long-term temporary employees are treated equitably. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The terms and conditions changes proposed within the report would, if formally agreed, would have incurred both additional costs and will generate recurring savings. One-off costs relating to compensation payments would have required to be funded from reserve balances if agreed. The precise detail of costs and savings incurred would have be outlined in a future report to Members, however an overall marginal recurring saving would have been anticipated. 2. HR & Organisational Development – as outlined in the report. 3. Community/Council Planning – None. 4. Legal - In considering any changes to Local Government Terms and Conditions, the Council is legally required to follow a fair and transparent process. This includes engaging in meaningful consultation with employees impacted and their recognised Trade Unions. The consultation process the Council was following explains the reasons for the proposed changes, invites feedback, and demonstrates that alternative views and suggestions have and will continue to be considered as things progress. Agreement was sought with Trade Unions before any contractual changes are implemented, as imposing changes without consent could result in legal claims such as breach of contract, constructive dismissal, or unauthorised deductions from wages. 5. Property/Assets – None 6. Information Technology – These proposed changes to terms and conditions would have required a substantial reconfiguration of the Council’s ERP system (Business World), alongside a significant commitment of internal resources to support delivery. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report.
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OFFICIAL If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of any reassessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Climate Risk – None. 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None. _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers - None ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Raymond Cree, Head of People and Organisational Development Email: raymond.cree@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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OFFICIAL APPENDIX 1 – 2026 Public Holidays for Local Government Employees Holiday 2026 New Year Thursday 1 January 2026 Friday 2 January 2026 Monday 5 January 2026 Good Friday Friday 3 April 2026 Easter Monday Monday 6 April 2026 May Day Monday 4 May 2026 Spring Bank Holiday Monday 25 May 2026 Fair Holiday Monday 3 August 2026 Autumn Holiday Friday 25 September 2026 Monday 28 September 2026 Christmas Friday 25 December 2026 Monday 28 December 2026 Day of no work requirement Thursday 31 December 2026 Non-teaching staff in schools Children’s Services issue a separate list of school holidays for term time employees.