Members of the UK’s largest trade union have joined the battle against the controversial scrapping of the dedicated board overseeing Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
The north branch of retired members of the Unite union has written to Scottish Government minister Keith Brown to warn him the proposed shake-up would represent a “retrograde step”.
The SNP administration sparked a backlash last month after confirming it planned to scrap the HIE board and create a new panel to oversee several organisations.
Opposition parties from across the political spectrum in Holyrood have backed the Press and Journal’s Keep HIE Local campaign in the wake of the announcement, as have Highland Council and former chief executives and chairmen of the agency.
Rab Wilson, Unite’s retired members branch secretary in Inverness, has now expressed the group’s opposition to the change.
Writing to Mr Brown, he said: “This branch has members living in all areas of the Highlands and islands and at our recent meeting in December 2016 the topic of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise board was discussed and the possibility that it could be merged with the Scottish Enterprise into one board for all Scotland. This would be a retrograde step.
“Our members urged you to keep Highlands and Islands Enterprise doing what it has done for the communities and people of the Highlands and islands for the last 50-odd years.”
HIE celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, with its forerunner the Highlands and Islands Development Board having been established in 1965 in an attempt to tackle the region’s high unemployment and dwindling population.
The agency, which has just moved into £13million headquarters at Inverness Campus, claims to have played a part in growing the population by more than 20% since its creation, while rebalancing the local economy.
A review recommended in October that a new single board should be set up to co-ordinate the work of HIE, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council, with Deputy First Minister John Swinney backing the plan last month.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Highlands and Islands Enterprise will continue to be locally-based, managed and directed providing dedicated support to the local economy. Each organisation will continue to retain its own chief executive and status.
“Our reforms will protect the unique service that HIE delivers for our Highland and island economies and will enhance the support that is available to businesses, employers and employees across the region.”
