MenuMinutes of a meeting of Amble Town Council held on Thursday 21st February 2013 at 5.30pm in the Council Office, The Quayside, Harbour Road, Amble.
PRESENT: Cllrs Hinson, Arckless, Bilboe, Palin, Weir, Mrs Dargue, Mrs Lewis and Miss Morrison together with the Clerk.
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cllr Rev’d Nicholson – illness. It was RESOLVED that the apologies be accepted.
3. ACCEPTANCE OF DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:
It was RESOLVED that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public will be excluded from the Meeting during consideration of the following items on the Agenda due to a sensitive nature.
Public/Private
Following the individual consultation meetings with employees;
P01: To consider the notes of consultation meetings with the employees, report 1 and report 2.
The Clerk summarised the consultation meetings with an emphasis on the suggestions from the employees.
P02: To consider the latest advice from the employment law advisor. The Clerk detailed the latest advice from the Employment Advisor stating the Council were required to consider the suggestions from the employees including economics and make a decision on how they wished to proceed.
A discussion ensued.
Following a Manual Handling Training Course, the Clerk explained the current situation regarding the digging of double depth interments; it was stated due to health and safety and the risk of twisting it was not advisable to manually dig double depth graves without the assistance off a gantry which in itself would bring along further health and safety risks such as working under a load. Due to these circumstances it was advisable to hire mechanical means of digging for double depth interments.
It was RESOLVED that the Council investigate retaining the employees by negotiating new reviewable contracts to allow the flexibility that the Council require with said contract based on taking external legal advice In favour: Cllrs Arckless, Bilboe, Hinson, Palin, Mrs Dargue, Miss Morrison and Rev’d Nicholson.
Against: Cllrs Weir and Mrs Lewis
Cllrs Weir and Mrs Lewis, maintained that the Council should also still continue to investigate the outsourcing of interments as a safer, more efficient, effective and economical method, also including the option of the transfer of an employee.
The meeting closed at 6.40pm