Councils must do more to ensure good employment practice in any private contracts they negotiate, according to a new report from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The report, Working together: emdedding good employment in public services, was published last week, and calls for good practice to be a top priority in all local government contracts. It says private companies which have taken over the delivery of public services are among some of the best employers, and it is a myth that public service workers prefer to be employed by the state. In a set of guidelines, the report calls for council employees to be involved in the procurement process to ensure the transfer of staff to contractors goes as smoothly as possible. ‘For most public service users, contacts with an employee on the frontline in the classroom, the hospital ward or the council office determines how they feel about their public service experience,’ said CBI deputy director general, John Cridland. ‘There can be no excuses for contract specifications which do not ensure good employment practice or employers who fail to take into account the needs and interests of their staff.’
