COUNCIL staff in Blaenau Gwent could be given an extra day’s holiday over the Christmas period as thanks for their work and dedication during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the next meeting of the council’s executive committee on Wednesday, September 1, councillors will consider a report on the proposal, which was made jointly by Unison, GMB and Unite trade unions

Head of organisational development Andrea Prosser said: “The joint trade unions at a consultation meeting with the Corporate Leadership team and the Executive on July 28 requested that the council consider granting December 31, 2021, as additional days leave as acknowledgement to the workforce for their excellent response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The council closes its buildings for the Christmas week and normally staff are expected to use a day out of their annual leave allowance for December 31.

“Where staff in front-line services are required to work, they are paid at their normal rate of pay and do not take a day’s leave.

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“Schools are closed during this period and those employed by schools do not work during this week.”

The report says that this extra day’s holiday would be a “one off” for this year only,

A downside to giving staff the extra day’s holiday pointed out in the report, is that it would mean council services would not be delivered on that day.

But the workforce would be expected to catch up and “still deliver” services.

The report adds that any workers who would have to work on December 31 would be able to take the extra day off, “at another time.”