Health service staff across Tayside and Fife will get an enhanced rate of pay for working on the day of the royal wedding, while council workers will get a day off later.
Scotland’s health boards will treat April 29 as a public holiday, entitling workers in certain departments to be paid time and a half. Some essential staff may even be paid more but health bosses have still to count the cost of extra pay for royal wedding day workers.
A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said, “NHS Scotland has agreed that Friday, April 29 is an additional public holiday and the normal public holiday arrangements for staff will be in place. If staff are required to work the public holiday the normal local arrangements will apply. It will either be enhanced rates or time in lieu.
NHS Tayside’s payroll department was unable to say how many people would be working on the day. However, the spokeswoman said, “A lot of rotas will already be in place and those who will be working will be entitled to enhancements of time and a half.”
The extra public holiday is likely to cost the NHS more than payouts to staff who work over the festive period as there are no plans to cancel planned surgery. At Christmas only emergency surgery is undertaken but the royal wedding will see elective procedures many booked months before William and Kate’s engagement was announced take place as planned.
Charlotte Linacre, campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, hit out at the extra payments and lack of concerted approach in the public sector.
“Paying those who must work on the day much more than their usual rate, or awarding them a deferred day off, is completely out of step with what many companies, and indeed some other public sector organisations, are planning to do in April,” she said.
“It will of course be a day to celebrate but with budgets tighter than ever, decisions like this do not provide value for taxpayers’ hard-earned cash.”
While doctors, nurses and hospital staff will enjoy a bonus, other public sector workers will not receive any financial extras.
A spokeswoman for Fife Council said, “The council is closed as a local holiday so it’s a day in lieu for staff. If anybody works part-time but doesn’t work on the Friday normally they will be given that day as additional entitlement, to be taken whenever.
“Essential workers who will be in won’t be paid as a public holiday but they will be given time in lieu.”
Dundee City Council will still operate and staff working on April 29 will get a day off later. A spokesman said, “The council isn’t shut on April 29. The staff are entitled to take an extra day off to mark the royal wedding but it’s not possible for everyone to be off on the 29th.”
Perth and Kinross Council decided employees who have to work will be granted a day’s annual leave at another time.
Angus Council will only decide on closure at its next strategic policy committee meeting on March 15.