The Employees’
Consultative Forum has the following duties and
responsibilities:
Terms of
Reference
1.0 Consultation
1.1 The Employees’
Consultative Forum (ECF) is the primary mechanism by which Council
Members will consult Union Representatives on specific matters of
mutual interest. The ECF shall make
recommendations to the Cabinet on such issues. In addition, the ECF will receive reports on
actions from the ECF Sub-Group.
1.2 The ECF will meet at
least twice annually.
2.0 Equal
Opportunities
2.1 The ECF will seek to
promote Equal Opportunities in Employment within the Council,
ensuring compliance with all the relevant anti-discrimination
legislation.
2.2 The ECF will ensure the
effective implementation of ‘Making a Difference –
Making Equality of Opportunity a Reality’. The ECF will receive and comment on regular
reports including:-
·
Statistics and
progress on meeting equality targets including an annual report on
employment issues analysed by protected
characteristics.
3.0 Health &
Safety
3.1 The ECF will seek to
promote health and safety and welfare within the Council and will
keep under review the measures taken to ensure health and safety
and welfare at work. The Forum will
receive and comment on reports, including:-
·
The Council’s
half-year and annual health and safety performance
report providing an update of health
and safety activities and giving information on outcome
measures.
3.2 Any health and safety and
welfare matters which are the responsibility of the Council as set
out in the schedule to the Council’s Constitution must be
referred to the Licensing and General Purposes
Committee.
4.0 Budget
The ECF will consider the budget, as part of the Council’s
consultation on the budget setting process and make comments on the
recommendations.
5.0 Membership
5.1 The permanent membership
of the Forum shall be as follows: -
a) 7 Councillors to include the Leader / Deputy leader
and the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Human
Resources.
b) A
minimum of one and maximum of 3 representatives from each
recognised trade union. (Note the number of representatives for each trade
union to be determined by their notified membership
numbers).
5.2 The Council Members
shall be appointed annually by the Cabinet. If a Council Member is unable to attend any
meeting then a duly appointed Reserve Council Member may attend in
their place.
5.3 The Employee Side
Representatives shall be nominated to the Head of Paid Service
within 14 days of each Annual Council.
If an Employee Side representative is unable to attend any meeting
they may nominate a substitute who shall be co-opted onto the
committee for the purposes of this meeting.
5.4 The role of chairing
the ECF will rotate between Council Members and Employee Side
representatives each Municipal Year.
5.5 The Employee Side
will agree amongst themselves who will take the Chair and notify
Democratic Services.
5.6 Others who may
attend the Forum include:-
Head of Paid Service,
Corporate Directors & Directors (or representative)
Trade Union Branch
Secretaries (or representative)
Trade Union Branch
Regional Officials (as required)
Representatives from
Employee Support Groups – for the Annual Equality in
Employment report.
Other officers as
required.
For the meeting to be
quorate, it must be attended by a minimum of three Council Members
and two trade union representatives from different trade
unions.
6.0 Recommendations of the
Employees’ Consultative Forum
6.1 Recommendations of the ECF
are reached by a majority vote among elected Members.
6.2 Recommendations of the ECF
must go to the relevant portfolio holder or Cabinet, who are the
last stage in the local procedures and in the normal course of
events, will be implemented immediately (subject to the call-in
period).
(Note: A proposal to
establish any subsidiary body of this Committee shall be subject to
its prior referral to and approval by Cabinet).
Information on how to
submit a petition,
deputation or public question is available on the council
website.