Approving World Cup bank holiday would be 'brass neck' for North Ayrshire Council

Councillors have blown the whistle on plans by North Ayrshire Cabinet to award a holiday to celebrate the Scotland men’s team’s first qualification for the World Cup finals in 28 years.

Their argument that it would cost the authority more than £1m in lost productivity was backed by elected members.

The Cabinet, at their meeting on March 17, considered a report on the approval of an additional bank holiday for all employees on Monday, June 15 – the day after Scotland face Haiti in the opening group game and supported it.

The call-in request, which was signed by Tory Councillors Ronnie Stalker and Scott Gallacher and Independent member Ian Murdoch and was heard by the Audit and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday.

Depute Leader Christina Larsen said: “Around 75% of our employees live in the local area and work hard to deliver services to communities. Granting this one-off holiday recognises the hard work and dedication of delivering services, supports morale and well-being when services are under strain.

“The £73,000 in overtime cost quoted by Cllr Stalker is based on the Coronation Holiday and is known, managed and will be absorbed within services budgets. The wider productivity figure needs to be interpreted carefully.

“This represents an indicative valuation of staff time not a cash loss, salaries are fixed and budgeted whether or not holiday is granted. No evidence has been presented that this will compromise service delivery.

“The public holiday is intended to support national participation and community celebration, not just watching a single fixtures. NHS Ayrshire and Arran have also agreed this holiday.”

Supporting the call-in, Tory Leader, Cllr Cameron Inglis said: “Can staff members not just watch the game at 2am, recover on the Sunday and come back on the Monday and there is no cost to the taxpayer?

“We are losing £1.2m in productivity to the council and to the taxpayer and there will be an effect on education attainments.

“People are still not getting return on their council tax increases and it’s a bit of a brass neck for the administration to waste money on a Bank Holiday when every February they plead poverty and say they don’t have enough money.”

Backing the holiday, former depute leader Shaun Macaulay said: “I don’t think it is throwing any money away. It is providing an additional holiday to very hard working staff and that can improve productivity and well-being.

“Bank holidays can provide benefits to our high streets and in particular small businesses in the hospitality sector, that is something that has been overlooked. I still think we should go ahead with the national day of celebration.”

Independent Cllr Donald L Reid said: “My concern is with the Health and Social Care Partnership. We are about to review all these people who have packages of care and that is causing angst among people who are the most vulnerable in North Ayrshire and we at the same time we as a council are flippantly deciding we are going to give everyone a day’s holiday at a cost of what I think must be an awful lot more than £73,000.

“Think of the people and the community they serve and think about the Council Tax rise of 8.5% and for that reason I cannot vote to give our workers an extra day off.”

Kilwinning Cllr Donald Reid said: “The Scottish Government made it clear – it’s a decision for councils – up until two weeks ago 24 councils decided against giving it based on costs.

“East Ayrshire Council estimated the cost would be £250,000 for the public holiday. I fully accept that staff can benefit from a public holiday but I have heard headteachers complain about a public holiday so close to the end of term and the start of term.

“The inconsistency of giving a holiday at late notice is an inconvenience to parents by some margin, especially near the end of the school year.

“In terms of the public reception to the administration’s press releases about the public holiday and bearing in mind the cost which would be £320,000, I cannot support it.”

A motion to uphold the call-in and refer the matter to Cabinet for further consideration was passed by five votes to two against an amendment which called for the public holiday to stand.

The Cabinet are now expected to consider the decision at their meeting on Tuesday, April 28.