Jubilee day off for all council staff

All members of staff at the city council are to be given an extra day’s holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Councillors have formally agreed to grant the fixed one-off additional holiday on June 5 next year, despite a £250,000 cost to the cash-strapped authority.

The move was approved at a meeting of the council’s policy and strategy meeting despite being opposed by members of the Labour group, who said it should be a normal working day.

City leader Jenny Dawe said: “I personally thought that option A (a normal working day) might be the right way forward but I have been persuaded that the reaction of the trade unions, not just in Edinburgh but elsewhere, makes this the cheaper option.”

The council has already added an extra public holiday earlier this year to mark the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton – at a £250,000 cost to the public purse.