St David's Day holiday for Gwynedd council workers upheld

Council workers in Gwynedd will be given an extra day's holiday on St David's Day this year - despite some councillors expressing doubts.

The decision was reviewed by Gwynedd council's scrutiny committee on Thursday.

Labour's Sion Jones argued the decision was made without understanding the practicalities or cost.

However councillors agreed to support the holiday plan and rejected Mr Jones' wish for a fresh vote on the issue.

The extra holiday is expected to cost the local authority around £200,000.

"I have never seen such a waste of money" said Mr Jones, during the meeting.

"There's not a business in Wales or the world who could waste money like this."

Mr Jones also questioned whether the council had the powers to give staff a bank holiday, but the council's head of Legal Services, Iwan Evans, said the authority did have powers over work conditions, which included leave days.

Mr Jones was supported by councillor Angela Russell who said she was not opposed to the idea of St David's Day being a bank holiday, but it needed to be a day off for everyone.

She also argued that the timing was "awful".

Ms Russell said: "Taxes are rising, electricity bills are rising. People are having to choose between feeding their children and heating their homes."

Cabinet member for Corporate Support, Nia Jeffreys said that the money to fund the day's leave for workers would come from surplus corporate funds.

"The money will not come from departmental budgets, it will not affect council taxes," said Ms Jeffreys.

"The £200,000 cost is the maximum estimate", she said, adding, "we've never tried to hide the cost".

She also argued the principle had been unanimously supported by the full council and felt a duty to make it happen.

Councillor Peredur Jenkins supported Ms Jeffreys saying he was proud to be a member of an authority giving a lead to other bodies.

Councillor Alwyn Gruffudd noted that Snowdonia National Park Authority had also taken a similar decision.

A proposal to refer the decision back to cabinet was rejected by six votes to five.