‘Long hours the norm’ as Murray ill

A LEADING union official last night said he had represented council employees who worked the excessively long working weeks which allegedly drove former Olympic runner Yvonne Murray to a nervous breakdown.

Murray, 47, is being treated in hospital for a breakdown which her mother claims was caused by the stress and long hours – sometimes up to 86 hours – working as a senior athletics development and events officer for North Lanarkshire Leisure.

Mary Furnell, 67, from Musselburgh, said her daughter had asked her employers for help but had been ignored. She said her daughter was likely to remain in Wishaw General hospital for a few weeks.

“It is all down to the stress that she had at work. She is just doing too much and sometimes has to work 86 hours a week,” Mrs Furnell said.

But Dave Watson, Scottish organiser for Unison, said long hours were often the norm in areas such as leisure services where many sporting events took place in the evenings or weekends.

“I’ve represented people whose hours have been as long as 86 hours a week. That total is at the far end of the range and involves people working half their hours again but it is not unknown.”