Employers’ group axed in costs cull

The Local Government Association is to scrap the Employers’
Organisation in a shake-up to cut costs and centralise
accountability.

The organisation’s policy and negotiations role on council
employment issues is now under direct LGA management, while its
workforce development arm has been transferred to the Improvement
and Development Agency.

John Ransford, formerly director of education and social policy,
has been appointed deputy chief executive and will take interim
charge of employment policy and negotiations. Employers’
Organisation executive director Rob Pinkham is taking
redundancy.

The move reflects the growing political sensitivity of local
government pay and, in particular, pensions policies.

An LGA source said: “The Employers’ Organisation was too separate
from the LGA and perhaps not as accountable as it should have
been.”

All the LGA’s policy functions are now under a single directorate,
headed by former economic policy director Sarah Wood, though this
has been the case in effect since October. Children’s and adult
services policy will remain the responsibility of Stephen Meek and
Jeni Bremner respectively. Both will report directly to Wood.