Row erupts over council’s guaranteed interviews for Welsh speakers
Nation.Cymru Staff
A council’s scheme to guarantee job interviews for Welsh-speaking applicants has sparked a fierce online row, with critics accusing the authority of discrimination.
Rhondda Cynon Taff Council took to social media to advertise the scheme, initially launched in July 2024, which offers guaranteed interviews to those able to speak Welsh at Level 3 or above.
They wrote: “If you can hold a conversation in Welsh – even if it’s not your first language or you haven’t used it since school – you could be eligible!
“We have a variety of different jobs available across our many departments, including full time, part time, and casual roles to suit all lifestyles!”
The council introduced the scheme, modelled on an existing arrangement for members of the Armed Forces, after identifying low numbers of applicants with Welsh language skills across a range of departments.
They clarified that “To be eligible for the Guaranteed Interview Scheme you must meet the essential criteria of the job role,” meaning applicants are not automatically entitled to an interview because they speak Welsh.
Applicants who join the scheme also commit to using Welsh in the workplace following appointment.
Though some were in favour of the scheme, writing that it was “great news” and a “good idea”, many commenters were unhappy with the decision.
“I would prefer the best candidate. This is the thin end of the wedge, giving Welsh speakers preferential treatment. Soon we will have an elitist society,” one wrote.
Another added: “And yet if you offered a job saying no Welsh speaking allowed, they’d go ballistic.”
The council said: “This scheme forms part of our ongoing commitment to improving access to employment opportunities and aligns with other guaranteed interview schemes we offer, including for veterans and people with disabilities.”
Others questioned why, if the scheme was created for Welsh speakers, RCT Council had posted an English-language advertisement with no Welsh translation.
“Doesn’t this advertisement breach the council’s equality and diversity policy?” A commenter asked.
Some even suggested the scheme was discriminatory or potentially unlawful because it disadvantaged English-only speakers. The council directed these commenters to its review of the scheme’s implementation.
The report notes that Welsh language requirements in recruitment could amount to indirect discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 if applied inappropriately. However, it adds that language requirements do not constitute unlawful discrimination where they can be objectively justified by the needs of the role.
It goes on to say: “Just over half of the applicants who have participated in the scheme have been invited to interview (177 of 343).
“This should allay any worries there have been that the scheme would lead to any unfair advantages for Welsh speakers in the recruitment process, as it suggests that candidates’ suitability for the role against the essential criteria is given due regard, rather than their language skills alone.”
The report also found that the scheme had increased Welsh-speaking candidates appointed or offered posts by 16.4%, and helped to raise the percentage of staff who could speak Welsh at Level 4 or 5 to 10.51%, an increase of 1% over 2023.
It concludes that guaranteed interviews for Welsh speakers have “strengthened” RCT Council’s position on statutory Welsh language requirements, as well as furthering its “excellent reputation nationally for innovation in Welsh language service provision.”
Additionally, a Welsh Language Commissioner’s report on the scheme noted that, although it was “initially controversial… the success of its first year has proven that it is possible to increase the use of Welsh in the workplace and encourage Welsh speakers to apply for jobs with the Council…
“It is an innovative, practical, and effective scheme that meets strategic requirements and demonstrates success within its first year of adoption.”
A commenter in favour of the scheme wrote: “If you speak Welsh, it means you have an extra skill to offer. If I had two identical candidates and one spoke Welsh but one didn’t, I know which one I’d want to employ.
“So instead of whining about discrimination, learn a new skill so that you are just as well qualified.”
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This anti-Welsh-everything by critics is getting on my nerves. Why shouldn’t Cymraeg be prioritised? We are in Cymru after all! There are plenty of opportunities for English only speaking people. The critics should remember that the Cymry and Cymru were and are still being discriminated against by the English before “accusing the authority of discrimination.” Can you imagine people criticising the Spanish, French and German authorities for wanting applicants to speak their native languages? I have written in English to enable the “critics” to understand.
Great comment, and great logic but I think it goes deeper than that, plus there are a handful of real detractors who seem to have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Cymraeg. I dare say that if you asked many about how they would define themselves the would mostly say Welsh and British, (or British and Welsh) of just British.
When are the complaining semi-morons going to get it? If they had decent English comprehension skills they would understand that it is not discrminarting to employ someone who speaks Cymraeg for a job that requires Cymraeg as a core skill, and that excludng those who only speak English is not discrimination. It’s quite simple, if they doin’t have the skill sets required for the job, they are ineligible of that post. What all the whingers need to face up to is their own confused ideas of idenity. It is my belief that the internal conflicts exist because they are Welsh,… Read more »
Exactly. One doesn’t employ an accountant who knows nothing about figures or a doctor who has not studied medicine. Although criticts will have us believe that our language is declining I know of several older people who can only feel comfortable and have confidence speaking Cymraeg when seeing solicitors, doctors, police etc. Here in Llanelli almost all schoolchildren can understand and converse in Cymraeg and I believe that there are more people speaking the language now than ever before. Don’t believe biased statistics and polls that are geared to make us believe the opposite.
Anyone disagreeing with this rule can cross the border and never return. I implore them to do so. I’ll even drive them to the border myself. Keep Cymru clean
No need to go that far. In the public sector, cymraeg speakers have always had priority in north wales if they met all the essential criteria. Never did us any harm, quite the opposite in fact.
I’m guessing this isn’t so common in RCT.
Great initiative, hopefully other councils follow. We need to keep cymraeg as muchas a working language as possible
This is nothing more than people who don’t respect Cymru enough to learn some of the language having a colonial gas lighting session.
Pathetic individuals.
Progressive thinking ensuring our culture is respected and our language loved…
This is getting pathetic.
Time to introduce an English Not.
Welsh people speaking Welsh in Wales is elitism? Yet this isn’t the case anywhere else in the world?
My thoughts exactly.
I bet the people criticising this are the same people calling to stop planting trees in Uganda in order to put “Wales First”.
A quick glance at social media shows that the usual victims are all over this like a rash. You know its the right thing to do when the worst of society are triggered to the point of keyboard rage.
I might suggest that companies should request the new workplace Welsh qualification instead as it would remove the ammunition from the anti Wales brigade.