Bid to root out council bullies (From Free Press Series)

Bid to root out council bullies

BULLYING within Torfaen council was revealed to be on the up as over 60 per cent of staff admitted to being harassed by management or colleagues.

The figures came as a result of an employee survey completed in 2004 to gauge the feelings of council staff.

And now council bosses are to enlist specialised outside help in a bid to stamp out bullying and harassment at work.

The council's own survey had revealed that out of 758 staff who took part, 23 percent said they had felt bullied or harassed by management or colleagues at work.

That figure is seven per cent up on the last survey in 2002. And of the 82 staff who work in the chief executive's department, 60 percent said they felt bullied.

At a special scrutiny meeting, head of personnel services and standards Peter Durkin told councillors the findings were "upsetting".

He also warned them that they risk losing their Investors in People quality mark if the problem went unchecked.

Mr Durkin, pictured, said: "We take a robust view when allegations - on the balance of probabilities - are found to be accurate and there are a number of senior managers who have left us when this was the case."

Torfaen council's chief executive Alison Ward, has vowed to "root out" the bullies.

Now employees and trade unions will work with a newly-appointed independent facilitator, who is expected to publish a report due in September.

Mr Durkin pointed out that management wouldn't be present at the sessions.