UNION negotiators are to hold talks with one of the country's largest conservation charities over job losses resulting from a major overhaul.
Prospect the union is to meet with the National Trust of Scotland over its plans that include cutting costs by 10 per cent.
It is unclear how many jobs will be lost after a review of the 85-year old charity led by the Board of Trustees, chairman Sir Moir Lockhead and chief executive Simon Skinner, pictured below.
The NTS owns and maintains land such as Glen Coe and Ben Lomond and 129 properties including Culzean Castle in Ayrshire and Brodie Castle near Inverness.
The charity, said it proposes to re-shape itself "around a number of pivotal priorities" over the next three to four years.
These include reducing running costs, focusing accountability and decision-making at property level, new investment in key properties and attracting more visitors to help increase income.
The NTS said it plans a "thorough re-configuration" and that this will start at the top with the trust’s leadership and layers of management being simplified.
Specialist staff across a range of conservation and professional disciplines would be teamed up with regional groupings of heritage sites to provide what would be in effect advisory services to properties.
These experts would be based out in the field, instead of at the trust’s HQ.
Ian Perth, negotiations officer for Prospect, said: "Prospect will do everything possible to defend employment levels at the trust.
"NTS has committed to ongoing dialogue with Prospect throughout the proposed restructure. While we note the financial position of NTS, we want to ensure that as a registered charity, NTS treats our members fairly and decently.
"We have several discussions planned in the coming weeks and months, and we hope that NTS can begin to bring clarity to our members as soon as possible.''
Changes to ways of working and investment in modernised administrative systems and simplified processes are expected to deliver savings of around 10 per cent per annum which could be redirected to conserving heritage properties, improving visitor experiences and priority projects, according to the NTS.
The entire programme of change would be self-funding and at the end of three years would lead to a more sustainable model, it is claimed.
The aim would be to bring in an extra £8-10 million per year of additional investment income for the charity thanks to efficiency changes, more paying visitors, increased numbers of members and growing donations.
Sir Moir said: "This is an exciting new chapter in our 85-year history, providing new opportunities.
“Hard work has turned around the Trust’s fortunes in the last few years, but we are now ready to move up to the next level to ensure we fulfil our mission of conservation in ways that are more relevant to today’s Scotland."
Since joining the Trust in June last year, Mr Skinner has made it clear that setting and delivering on priorities is key to the trust’s future success.
He said: “We have decided that for the next few years we will concentrate resources on a number of priority properties – each of which will have specific projects and initiatives designed to drive up visitor numbers.
“Our Trustees have judged that upfront investment in these properties would give the greatest returns in terms of increased visitor numbers, income, improved visitor experiences and conservation outcomes as quickly as possible."
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