Meeting Details

“Council notes that:

1. The pressure on organisations to pay the right amount of tax in the right place at the right time has never been stronger.
2. Polling from the Institute for Business Ethics finds that “corporate tax avoidance” has, since 2013, been the clear number one concern of the British public when it comes to business conduct.
3. More than two-thirds (68%) of the Scottish public agree that the Government and local councils should consider a company’s ethics and how they pay their tax as well as value for money and quality of service provided, when undertaking procurement.
4. Around 15% of public contracts in Scotland have been won by companies with links to tax havens.
5. It has been conservatively estimated that losses from multinational profit-shifting (just one form of tax avoidance) could be costing the UK some £17bn per annum in lost corporation tax revenues.
6. The Fair Tax Mark offers a means for business to demonstrate good tax conduct, and has been secured by wide range of businesses across the UK, including FTSE-listed PLCs, co-operatives, social enterprises and large private businesses.

Council believes that:

1. Paying tax is often presented as a burden, but it shouldn’t be.
2. Tax enables us to provide services from education, health and social care, to flood defence, roads, policing and defence. It also helps to counter financial inequalities and rebalance distorted economies.
3. As recipients of significant public funding, local authorities should take the lead in the promotion of exemplary tax conduct; be that by ensuring contractors are paying their proper share of tax, or by refusing to go along with offshore tax dodging when buying land and property.
4. Where substantive stakes are held in private enterprises, then influence should be wielded to ensure that such businesses are exemplars of tax transparency and tax avoidance is shunned - e.g., no use of marketed schemes requiring disclosure under DOTAS regulations (Disclosure Of Tax Avoidance Schemes) or arrangements that might fall foul of the General Anti-Abuse Rule.
5. More action is needed, however, as current law significantly restricts councils’ ability to either penalise poor tax conduct or reward good tax conduct, when buying goods or services.
6. UK cities, counties and towns can and should stand up for responsible tax conduct - doing what they can within existing frameworks and pledging to do more given the opportunity, as active supporters of international tax justice.

Council resolves to:

1. Sign the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration.
2. Lead by example and demonstrate good practice in our tax conduct, right across our activities.
3. Strongly encourage contractors to implement IR35 robustly and pay a fair share of employment taxes.
4. Where possible, seek clarity on the ultimate beneficial ownership of suppliers and their consolidated profit & loss position.
5. Promote the Fair Tax Declaration to businesses we engage with through established processes.
6. Support Fair Tax Week events in the area where possible and across our social media platforms.
7. Support calls for urgent reform of EU, UK and Scots law to enable local authorities to better penalise poor tax conduct and reward good tax conduct through their procurement policies”

"Council notes the concern of many parents and young people over the safety of the routes identified to be used to walk to school following the decision to withdraw funded transport from August 2024; 

Further notes the more than £8m surplus in finances reported to the Finance and Resources Committee on 22 May 2024, and

“North Lanarkshire Council confirms support and full adoption of the UNISON End Violence at Work Charter. In addition, the Council calls for a broader plan to be developed which includes input from all Trade Unions with members who are impacted by such incidents.  

Available information suggests school and council workers in North Lanarkshire have suffered 978 violent incidents since 2021, with 3222 violent incidents in total since 2019, including being punched, pushed, kicked, or spat at, as well as verbal abuse and threats. No one deserves to be treated like that while at work and there must be a zero-tolerance approach to incidents of this kind.

Unison’s End Violence at Work Charter reasonably calls for employers to:

Have a written violence and aggression at work policy, which is available to all staff, and including lone working.

Ensure responsibility for implementing these policies lies with a senior manager.

Take measures to reduce occurrences of staff working in isolated buildings, offices, or other work areas.

Encourage reporting of all violent incidents and clear instructions to be issued on how to do this.

Collection and monitoring of data on violent incidents on a regular and ongoing basis.

Ensure Trade Union safety reps have access to this data and are consulted on solutions to issues relating to violence in the workplace.

Have thorough risk assessments conducted for staff placed in vulnerable situations.

Maintain support pathways for staff who are victims of violence at work, so that they know where to turn for advice and support.

Deliver training to ensure staff are aware of the appropriate way to deal with threatening situations.

Where appropriate, make available independent counselling services to staff who are the victims of violence at work. 

These reasonable requests will be fully supported to, adhered to, and delivered by North Lanarkshire Council as part of a wider plan to support workers across the Council at all times”

“This Council agrees to investigate the potential for a Vape Recycling Scheme, providing accessible and visible vape recycling drop off points, using council facilities such as One Stop Shops, Libraries and Leisure Centres. 

Council notes that environmental grants are currently available to fund such projects.

Council agrees a report on the outcome of the investigations be submitted to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration”.

“This Council recognises the 40th anniversary of the miners' strike in North Lanarkshire, an event of profound historical and social significance.

We acknowledge the courage and resilience of the miners and their families who faced immense hardship and adversity during this challenging period. Their struggle not only highlighted the critical importance of workers' rights and fair labour practices but also underscored the strength of community solidarity and support.

We commend the enduring spirit of the mining communities in North Lanarkshire, whose legacy continues to inspire the pursuit of social justice and equity in our authority.

This Council resolves to commemorate this anniversary by conducting a feasibility study into the following actions: 

1. Hosting a series of events and educational programs to honour the memory and contributions of the miners and their families.

2. Establishing a cross-party working group to devise, cost, and make recommendations to the appropriate committee for a permanent memorial at the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life to serve as a reminder of the strike's impact on our community and its place in our collective history.

3. Supporting initiatives that promote workers' rights, fair labour practices, and community solidarity, ensuring that the values fought for during the strike continue to be upheld. This will be highlighted in any research work conducted during the feasibility study.

And action:

4. Lighting up the Civic Centre "RED" in memory of parts of this authority with a strong socialist past and to remember those who sacrificed to uphold the integrity of social justice.

5. Writing to the UK Government, after the UK General Election, in support of the Miners' Strike (Pardon) Bill.