Council scraps World Cup bank holiday plan over cost concerns
PA MediaNorth Ayrshire Council staff will no longer give workers a bank holiday to mark Scotland returning to the World Cup, after concerns over the cost.
The local authority first approved the day off - set for 15 June, the day after Scotland face Haiti in their opening game - back in March.
Three councillors then called in the decision at an audit and scrutiny committee meeting, saying it would cost the council more than £1m because of lost productivity.
A cabinet meeting on Tuesday then decided to accept the committee's recommendation and abandon the holiday plan.
The Scottish government declared the national holiday should be held the day after Scotland face Haiti in Boston with a 02:00 kick-off, but left the decision on whether or not to take it up to individual councils.
The tournament is the first time Scotland has reached a World Cup in 28 years.
Councillor Chloe Robertson said: "It's quite disappointing that the call-in has come in as health and social care staff work really hard and I think they deserved that recognition."
Councillor Christina Larsen said the cabinet had decided to accept the decision of a council committe.
"We want to highlight how much we very much appreciate our staff. The decision to accept the recommendation is absolutely no reflection on them," she said.
Conservative councillors Ronnie Stalker and Scott Gallacher and independent member Ian Murdoch had put forward the argument that the holiday would cost the local authority - which like all Scottish councils is under financial pressure - more than £1m in lost productivity.
The argument was backed by Tory leader Cameron Inglis and Labour member Donald Reid.
Larsen, the council's depute leader, and fellow SNP councillor Shaun Macaulay, had backed the original decision.
