Agenda item

Minute 92 – Provision of Library Services – Contract Performance Report

The following statement was submitted by Councillor Allen:-

  “The minutes refer on page 18 to libraries not opening due to lack of staff – current strike action is partly due to non-filling of vacant posts. GLL comment about union negotiations taking too long, but there is no evidence of any negotiations on anything.

  Clear statements were made at the 6 March meeting and others, since privatisation in 2017 – e.g. no loss of professional staff as a result of the contract.  Issues now include:

·  unqualified people being brought in to temporarily cover vacancies;

·  temporary upgrading of staff with no accompanying pay uplift;

·  lack of consultation on reorganisation;

·  additional duties being imposed without regard to overloading staff, suitable training or remuneration;

·  staff I have spoken to know nothing of the 13 week training courses mentioned on page 19;

·  training courses are mainly leisure oriented;

·  training courses expect people on zero hours contracts to travel e.g. to east London;

·  zero hours and casual workers are moved from place to place, staff and management do not know who will turn up, some of the infill people are unable or unwilling to do library work incl. read to or talk to children;

·  librarians are being brought from other parts of London e.g. a prisons library manager turned up at Beckenham, or GLL is using leisure centre managers not library people; and

·  library users value their local team and like to see the same staff regularly.

  The report at the 6 March meeting seems to have again glossed over many issues which have now been exposed.

  On page 19 at the top of the page, GLL’s ‘formulaic’ approach (a strange word to use), includes attractive building and staff training. The new signage on all the libraries and other GLL facilities is poorly designed and looks distinctly tacky and the staff training does not seem to be assisting operations.

  GLL should be receiving default notices for lack of service due to their actions. LBB should be fining GLL for non-working self-service machines, late opening and early closing of libraries, all of which were happening well before the current industrial action.

  GLL performance and library operations should be rigorously reviewed as a matter of urgency. The contract does I assume have break clauses, we should consider whether and when to invoke these.”

In response to this statement, the Director of Regeneration reported that the key principle of the current strike was the demand for a 6% pay rise for staff.  Not one library had closed during the action so far and participating staff were receiving pay via the Union.  GLL continued to perform well and a general increase in visitors was reported.  Regular users had observed no difference in service since management transferred to GLL.  Should the strike continue into September, there may be a need for localised closures but discussions about this would take place with GLL.  In regard to monitoring performance, Members were advised that to date, aside from the fact that two libraries had opened slightly later than the advertised time, the level of standards remained high.

Councillor Allen agreed to send her written points to the Principal Client, Libraries for him to respond via e-mail (paying particular attention to the concerns relating to staff training and employees’ inability/unwillingness to interact with children).

Minute 94 – Renewal, Recreation and Housing PDS Committee Work Programme (May 2019-April 2020)

The requested Mears Ltd Contract Performance Report was omitted from the current agenda and will be submitted to the scheduled meeting in September 2019.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2019 and the Special meeting held on 7 May 2019 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.