Police Negotiating Board for Scotland: constitution

Agreements, Conciliation and Arbitration

26. The members of the Board will at all times strive to reach agreement on matters under consideration, and the Chairperson will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the Board reaches agreement.

27. Matters under consideration may be referred to a sub-committee or working group for discussion. Following discussion, the sub-committee or working group may refer any matter back to the Board for agreement.

28. An agreement of the Board will be reached by the concurrence of both Sides of the Board.

29. Agreements of the Board will be set out in circulars drafted by the Secretariat for agreement by the Board.

30. Where the Board cannot reach agreement on matters, other than those set out in section 55B(1) of the 2012 Act, the Chairperson will prepare a report on the views of the Board and make representations to the Scottish Ministers on the basis of that report. Such matters may not be referred to conciliation or arbitration.

31. Where the Board cannot reach agreement on representations to be made to the Scottish Ministers regarding the matters set out in section 55B(1) of the 2012 Act, either the Official Side or the Staff Side may formally register a failure to agree through the Chairperson, which will trigger the following conciliation and arbitration process.

32. Where a Temporary Chairperson is in place, and either the Official Side or the Staff Side has formally registered a failure to agree, the secretariat may refer the matter to Acas Scotland (Acas) for conciliation, on behalf of the Board.