Trade union in talks with Paisley charity Kibble following claims of "financial crisis"
The organisation told staff of the challenges being faced as it sought to downgrade their pay and working conditions.
Kibble Education and Care Centre has told employees it is in 'financial crisis' days after confirming it spent tens of thousands of pounds on a defamation case.
The Paisley-based charity told staff of its financial challenges as it sought to downgrade their pay and working conditions.
The news was delivered just days after Kibble confirmed it had covered the legal fees of two of its employees, Jim Gillespie and Mark MacMillan, who launched a defamation case against Alan Wardrop.
Judge Lord Clark last week accepted that Mr Wardrop's accusation that the pair – Kibble's representatives on the board of St Mirren FC – had covered up a secret plan to build a wellbeing centre on club-own land was defamatory.
But their claim for damages was dismissed as Lord Clark said he believed that Mr Wardrop's comments were in the public interest and were honestly held based on the evidence he had at the time – both defences under the Scottish law around defamation damages.
Within days of the case being dismissed, Kibble employees were issued with a letter stating the rate of pay for overtime was being reduced; the notice period was being extended to eight weeks; and, further, that staff would no longer be afforded sick pay if they were signed off ill within that eight-week period.
Unison, the trade union which represents staff at the children's charity, told the Express: 'Earlier this year, Unison was called to a meeting with members of Kibble management who advised that they are in significant financial crisis and that they are struggling to retain staff.
'Assurances were given that [the proposed changes] would not be enacted without trade union agreement and following member consultation. Despite this, management have proceeded to implement changes and no further discussion has taken place with the trade union.'
Unison had threatened strike action at the Goudie Street facility but a planned ballot was suspended at the eleventh hour when Kibble agreed to resume talks with the union.
Mark Ferguson, Renfrewshire branch secretary of Unison Scotland, said Kibble had withdrawn the disputed changes to members' terms and conditions.
He said: 'On the back of this development, Unison has agreed to postpone its ballot of members and will engage in further discussion with Kibble management – hopefully this will result in a successful negotiated agreement.'
A spokesperson for Kibble said: 'We place a great deal of value on our long-standing relationship with Unison and are committed to reaching a mutually agreeable solution to this issue. Discussions are ongoing and we expect the matter to be resolved to everyone's satisfaction in the near future.'
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