Limerick City Council staff work less than 35 hours a week, survey shows
Limerick City Hall, Merchant's Quay
STAFF at Limerick City Council work an average of 34.17 hours a week, a new survey has shown.
Despite last year’s deadline forcing public service workers to increase their hours under the Croke Park agreement, staff based in City Hall are still working less than 35 hours a week, according to a survey commissioned by the Irish Independent.
In comparison, staff in the private sector work a 39-hour week.
There are around 400 staff still working at City Hall.
However, Diarmuid Scully, the leader of Fine Gael, the largest party on the council, said the survey does not take everything into consideration.
“Staff at this level would attend council meetings for which they are not paid, which normally take at least two hours. They would also attend special policy committee meetings each quarter too. So they would always make up that extra time very quickly,” he explained.
The issue has once again brought the Croke Park deal back to the forefront, as Taoiseach Enda Kenny threatened to look at the pay side of things.
Cllr Scully does not think the deal will hit its targets.
“It unduly affects staff at the lower level. People not well paid are taking very big hits, but at the same time we have staff in the public sector who are well paid at the high level. There is too much protection for the highly-paid, and not enough protection for the lower-paid,” he said.
Meanwhile, staff at County Hall in Dooradoyle, according to the survey, are working an average of just 33 hours a week.
In neighbouring Co Clare, the survey shows staff are also working just 33 hours each week on average.
This figure is shared by Meath County Council and Galway City Council. At Galway County Council, the figure is even lower with staff working 32.92 hours a week.
The busiest staff were in counties Leitrim, Longford and Roscommon.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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dyanisis
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 04:36 PM@ PADDYMOG............ITS NOT HIS FAULT HE DOESNT HAVE A WHEELCHAIR...........EVEN THOUGH IS MENTALLY RETARDED PARAPLEGIC IF THE LL WILL ALLOW
Paddymog
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 09:17 AMHow could it take 35 hours to implement the policy decisions of Dim Schlong and his cronies? You couldn't find 35 hours work to do if you tried.
Bubbles the first
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:24 PM34.17 hours a week,that's 6.83hours over a 5day period,take there 1hour lunch brake from that now were down to 5.83hours a day.tea breaks you could calculate at least .83hours over the whole day.So by my calculations we have hit a 5hour production day at 5days =25hour a week paid 39 hours how bad.Any Jobs going. BRING IN SWIPE CARDS.
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