Redeploying public sector workers whose jobs have been axed can ‘take some time’, a senior SNP minister has said after it was revealed hundreds of ‘ghost workers’ have been paid up to 17 years despite having no formal role.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said all workers whose role is abolished should be redeployed in a new permanent job – but admitted there can be delays.
It comes as the Scottish Tories estimated that the annual cost of ‘ghost workers’ is enough to hire 584 junior doctors.
It follows the revelations at the weekend that at least £27million a year of taxpayers’ money is being used on the salaries of staff in the Scottish Government, NHS, councils and quangos even though they no longer have a fixed role because their previous position is no longer needed. They can’t be forced out of their job because of the SNP’s no compulsory redundancy rule.
In the most extreme case, one NHS Highland worker had been receiving their full salary for 17 years despite no longer having a specific job role.
Asked about the issue on BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast yesterday, Ms Somerville said: ‘What is very important is that we do have a policy as the Government about no compulsory redundancies but what we also expect is for public bodies to be able to redeploy their staff.
‘So if, for example, there are changes to structures, changes that require people to move, then redeployment is exactly what should be happening and other roles should be found for people.
‘That is the right thing for the public purse and I think the right thing for those individuals.’
Shirley-Anne Somerville said all workers whose role is abolished should be redeployed in a new permanent job
She said every public body should be redeploying staff and encouraging training and development if required.
She added: ‘In some situations, that may take some time to ensure that people are redeployed effectively. That is the expectation that goes along with the policy around compulsory redundancies.’
The Sunday Times newspaper revealed details of the 800 cases of Scottish public sector workers who are deemed to have no fixed role, with their salaries costing at least £27million a year.
The true cost is likely to be higher as several public bodies refused to provide the salaries for those awaiting redeployment.
Some 255 workers across the Scottish public sector have not had a fixed job for more than a year, while at least 49 have been in this situation for five years or more.
The Scottish Conservatives said that at least £27.6million spent on ghost workers includes £21.8million funded by the Scottish Government, which is enough to hire 584 new junior doctors.
Scottish Conservative public service reform spokesman Murdo Fraser said: ‘The hundreds of ghost workers being employed in Scotland’s public sector is the latest appalling example of the SNP’s total disregard for taxpayers’ money.
‘John Swinney and his ministers have allowed the costs of Scotland’s public sector to spiral out of control, and they are not serious about reining them in. Taxpayers’ should never be footing the bill to pay the salaries of people whose jobs no longer even exist. This sums up the madness of the SNP’s no compulsory redundancies policy, which they should ditch immediately.
‘Swinney should be looking at making redundancy mandatory if alternative roles are not available for people to move into. Hard-pressed Scots would much rather their money was funding the salaries of frontline staff like junior doctors to help our NHS which is in permanent crisis mode, rather than funding ghost workers.’
