City Council Committee Meetings

The Education Committee met on Monday evening, it discussed issues around reserved places in schools to ensure that children who move to an area can get into their local school. We also discussed equality in Dundee's schools. The main item for debate was about car parking and pupil safety. Bailie Rod Wallace put forward a proposal to deal with parking at Forthill Primary School, the SNP proposed an amendment which would have looked at the issue across the city. The Labour Group had prepared a motion which would have encompassed elements of both of these motions. We called for both motions to be brought together but this seemed to be too difficult for a very long time. I made the point that any examination of road safety needs to look at real examples and I raised issues about Blackness Primary and the new campus on Blackness Road. As I have said before it is important that the council and others get it right with regard to road safety at the new schools on Blackness Road. After a tortuous process the SNP mover of the amendment accepted that he meant for there to be a look at individual schools and not just an academic exercise. With this clear and overdue reassurance the vast majority of the Education Committee were able to vote for the amendment. Bailie Wallace failed to convince all of his own group to vote with him and my ward colleague Councillor Donald Hay voted differently from the other two Conservatives.

At the Policy and Resources Committee there were two reports on restructuring of the council. These reports will result in some pay rises for senior staff who are undertaking enhanced roles due to the retirements, redundancies and restructuring which have already taken place. My colleague Kevin Keenan rightly highlighted the many other staff at the other end of pay scale who were similarly doing increased work but were not being rewarded for it. Councillor Keenan called on the council to implement the Living Wage. The leader of council claimed that a report will be coming on this issue.

I have been calling for the council to implement the Living Wage for some time. I think that the City Council should show leadership and pay the Living Wage and call on those who are contracted to the City Council to do the same, and call on all firms in Dundee to pay the Living Wage. It is clear that a Labour-led council will implement the Living Wage. The Living Wage is supported by a wide range of organisations and paid by the Scottish Government, the Greater London Assembly and Glasgow City Council amongst others. It would help alleviate poverty and put more money in the economy.