Clackmannanshire Council is pressing ahead with the expansion of its shared services model amid concerns from union leaders.

Councillors agreed at Thursday’s full council meeting to explore a business case for a ‘lead authority’ model in which all education functions in the Wee County will come under Stirling Council and Clackmannanshire will take on Stirling’s social services.

The local authorities have been sharing joint heads of each service since March 2011.

However, union leaders claim the council has yet to provide “basic information” that the current model has either improved services or provided savings before pushing for an expansion. They also said council officers have failed to properly consult on previous changes to services.

Chief Executive Elaine McPherson told councillors that a business case could be presented to the council by the end of the year.

Agreeing the moves, Council leader Gary Womersley said the ‘lead authority’ model would be a means to deliver “more effective services”.

He added that there had been “frustrations” in the past year and a half that prevented them moving forward with a business case earlier.

Labour group leader Bobby McGill backed the move but added, “It is important that we take trade unions with us and be that they are part of the process moving forward.” Independent councillor Archie Drummond supported the model but raised concerns that trade unions were being kept in the dark.

A report on the business case was also presented to Stirling Council on Thursday and agreed.

Andrew Kane, Chair of the Clackmannanshire Joint Trade Union Committee (JTUC), said members from all trade unions had expressed concerns about the future of Clackmannanshire Council and their employment within it.

He said, “There is an extreme lack of confidence in management’s ability to look at large scale staff integration with Stirling Council rationally, as they have been unable to justify, or provide costs for, over three years of constantly changing services and structures thus far. Additionally, it is felt that the full ‘lead authority’ model will now go ahead no matter the consequences to staff or the tax payers of Clackmannanshire as it would simply look bad politically if the project failed.

“Clackmannanshire Council’s views on a number of meeting dates where no serious information was shared and no meaningful discussions on proposals were exchanged as ‘consultation’ is worrying for many reasons. As such, the JTUC will continue to highlight legitimate area’s of concern, fight for the rights of our members and to demand open and honest government to protect the interests of the people of Clackmannanshire.” Councillors have now been invited to attend an Extraordinary Joint Trade Union Meeting to face questions from members.

As the Advertiser went to press only two councillors had taken up the invitation.