HO HO NO! You can’t go!

Although the City Council saw fit to employ an Executive Events Producer for the City of Culture Year at a cost of £1,000 a day, it appears it the council continues to be a ‘bleak house’ for council staff. Derry City Council will be a ‘bleak house’ for staff this year, after they were told they can no longer hold their traditional festive celebration in working hours.

The Sentinel has learned that staff were recently told by email and word of mouth to have no ‘great expectations’ of their traditional Christmas knees-up – which they have always paid for themselves.

Contacted for a statement about the change in festive policy, a spokesperson for the council said: “In keeping with Council policy, staff are encouraged to organise any social events outside of Council working hours.”

The freeze on the annual festive frolics has drawn criticism from the Chairman of the Irish Executive of Unite, Liam Gallagher, who called on the CEO of Derry City Council, Sharon O’Connor, to ensure staff were allowed to celebrate the festive season in their traditional fashion.

He said the “Ghost of Christmas Past” should visit the council’s decision makers and remind them that “the staff have done an excellent job all year round, providing a marvellous service to the city – ranging from emptying the bins and burying the dead to looking after planning legislation”.

“The scrutiny that the public sector is being put under is grossly unfair and it should be weighed against the fact that these workers have not had a pay increase for three years because of a pay freeze.

“Staff are coming under constant scrutiny and threat and this serves to decry the concept of common good and public service,” he said.

“I think the Derry public should get behind the council workers and recognise the sterling job they do.”