Complaint
A listener complained the programme failed to make clear that a Union representative, interviewed about prospective strikes in Scotland’s schools, was also a senior Labour party official.  The ECU assessed whether the output met the standards of due impartiality set out in the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
Johanna Baxter was introduced as “head of local government for Unison in Scotland†and the focus of the interview was the decision by her members to take industrial action in pursuit of higher pay.  The pay negotiations, as the presenter made clear, were between Unison and the employer’s body COSLA, with no direct involvement of the Scottish Government. There was a political dimension to the story but in condemning the SNP Government for, as she saw it, failing to properly fund local authorities, Ms Baxter appeared to reflect Unison’s position, not specific Labour party policy.  The ECU saw no likelihood therefore that listeners would have been misled on the subject under discussion – namely, why Unison considered industrial action necessary despite the adverse impact on Scottish schools.
Not Upheld