NOTEBOOK by BILL HEANEY
Just how arrogant are the members and officials of West Dunbartonshire Council? I am asking this not for myself but after a disabled employee was cynically victimised and bullied by them.
And then tormented and made seriously ill as they went into denial and even collusion about what their appalling behaviour had done to the man.
They then cynically defended their dishonourable actions through employment tribunals and the highest court in the land for an incredible TEN YEARS.
Severe sanctions – even sackings – should now be on the council agenda following the decision of Court of Session judge Lord Fairley to dismiss the council’s duplicitous efforts to defend their risible actions, which have cost the public purse an estimated £1 million in compensation and legal fees.
After ten long years of torment for GMB trade union rep Brian Gourlay, the judge ordered that the one-time health and safety officer at the council’s now demolished offices at Garshake should be fully compensated for what had been done to him.
But the rotten council persisted in their evil efforts and even then tried to have the rightful compensation to Mr Gourlay reduced by an eye-watering 80 per cent.
Lord Fairley, pictured left, rightly insisted they pay the full amount, which is “substantial” to say the least. Brian Gourlay is reluctant to reveal even an estimate of the figure he has been awarded, but the appalling behaviour of senior council officials [and councillors] in this stinking saga, which Mr Gourlay himself says has comparisons with the Post Office scandal, will cost council taxpayers a large six figure sum when interest payments and legal expenses are taken into account. The long-running case which has been compared to the Jarndyce v Jarndyce probate hearing at the centre of the Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House has been reported on exclusively by The Dumbarton Democrat, who have been banned by the council.
We are not left wondering about why that has happened. We know why.
And so, most probably, do our readers who ultimately are the ones who are being denied access to public business being done in their name.
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Do you think that if we had a decent council in place then other public bodies would have some respect for us?
That BBC Scotland for example might have had open and transparent talks with West Dunbartonshire Council before they decided to axe River City?
And we would not have had to witness headlines such as this one from time to time: BBC axes hit drama after 23 YEARS on screen in shock move
Who will Dumbarton turn to now for jobs to fill the gap that the departure of the Scotch whisky industry left behind?
The move has been blamed on a decline in audience ratings towards long-running series.
Hayley Valentine, Director, BBC Scotland, said: “River City has been a wonderful adventure and of course we’ll all be sad to see it go.
“The team have done a brilliant job and I know they have some big plans for the finale next year. But as viewing patterns change and competition intensifies, this is the right time to invest in the next generation of high-impact drama series from across Scotland showcasing storytelling across the UK.
“Our goal is to grow Scotland further on the global drama map – with a slate of world-class productions that set the standard not just here but internationally too.”
The broadcaster has said the money used to produce River City will be diverted into new shows, but has given no indication whether the studios at Dumbarton will continue to be used to make this new material.
Justice served at last. Similar to the corruption case which according to Audit Scotland cost WDC taxpayers around £9m not one senior officer will be held to account for the treatment meted out to this worker.