Review of Organisation and Branch Structure in the Environment Agency

Back to all Motions

Conference
2014 Water, Environment & Transport Service Group
Date
21 February 2014
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference notes that:

a) The existing branch structure within the Environment Agency was established at the time that the Environment Agency was created and was based largely on water company boundaries.

b) The structure of the Environment Agency has changed significantly since this time and concern has been expressed that certain bargaining groups are no longer adequately represented (eg staff working in dispersed functions such as national permitting).

c) The Environment Agency is undertaking a further significant restructuring that will effectively see the dismantling of the regions.

d) The existing branch structure may no longer be fit for purpose as a means of grouping members into effective bargaining groups that can challenge management and represent members.

Conference therefore calls on the Water Environment and Transport Service Group Executive, and the Environment Agency Sector Group:

i) To conduct a review of the organisational arrangements within the Environment Agency.

ii) To identify and consider a range of organisational options, including but not limited to:

• The retention of the current arrangements

• Groupings based on areas

• Moving to a single national branch structure

iii) To identify a preferred option, consult members on moving to this preferred option and, depending on the outcome of this consultation to seek to implement the preferred option concurrently with the implementation of the revised management arrangements within the Environment Agency.