McArthur raises concern about possible discrimination against Orcadians who don't speak Gaelic (Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats)

Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats <info@aberdeensouthlibdems.org.uk>

McArthur raises concern about possible discrimination against Orcadians who don't speak Gaelic

October 20, 2009 10:53 AM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, has raised with the Crofters Commission concerns that their Draft Gaelic Language Plan would mean that Orcadians wanting to work for the Commission could lose out because they don't speak Gaelic. But so far the Commission's reply has done little to reassure him.

Liam McArthur wrote to the Commission's Chief Executive, Nick Reiter, after he noted that Commission's draft Gaelic Language Plan proposed to introduce, in January of next year, a series of policies relating to staff recruitment, the most sweeping of which is that the "appointments policy recognises Gaelic as a desirable job skill". He pointed out that this was despite the reference in the plan to all recruitment being carried out "in accordance with the Civil Service rules on fair and open competition."

He told Mr Reiter that, "if the plan is implemented as drafted, I cannot see how my Orcadian constituents will not be put at an unfair disadvantage should they apply for jobs with the Commission. While, no doubt, there will be some Orcadians who speak some Gaelic, the numbers will be small as there is no tradition of Gaelic speaking in the Islands and there never has been. So many Orcadians involved in crofting, or with an interest in it, who might well seek employment with the Commission, will start at a disadvantage when compared to Gaelic speaking applicants.

He continued, "While I acknowledge the importance of sustaining and encouraging the wider development of Gaelic, I would ask you to reflect on the implications of the draft plan and its implications for my constituents, and others from non Gaelic speaking parts of the crofting counties. I would further encourage you to ensure that recruitment policy in relation to the Crofters Commission is "fair and open."

In his reply, Mr Reiter said that "the issue of how Gaelic might be recognised as a desirable job skill without necessarily disadvantaging non-speakers in an important one, and indeed one we expected would engender some debate." But on what he would do to address the discrimination, all he wrote was that, since the Commission's staff are all employees of the Scottish Government, he was seeking the views of the Government's human resources staff in Edinburgh."

Commenting, Liam McArthur said, "Mr Reiter referred to the 'major contribution that Orcadians have and continue to make to crofting in general and the Commission in particular' and he assured me that my views would be taken 'very carefully into account' but he gave no actual ground on the discriminatory proposal. A recruitment process which discriminates in this way against a significant part of the crofting community, particularly those in the Northern Isles, is not acceptable. The Crofters Commission has to recognise that and drop this part of their draft plan."