‘YOU’VE BIN AMAZING..!’

Council pays tribute to 490 redeployed workers who have tackled pandemic... with some set to stay in their new role

STOKE-ON-TRENT City Council has paid tribute to staff who have had to be redeployed to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Almost 12 months ago the council made the decision to move workers to different roles, with some now staffing community testing sites and others training as refuse collectors.

The authority says many of those workers moved to different roles to help fight the covid pandemic still remain in their new roles.

And some are even considering make the career change permanent.

A Stoke-on-trent City Council spokesman said: “Despite the past 12 month being incredibly tough, one of the amazing things to come out of this pandemic is to see how local people have come together and shown real community spirit.

“This is most definitely true for our council workers. A total of 490 council staff have been redeployed to other positions over the past year.

“From taking contact tracing calls and working at our community test venues, to those who have trained as bin crew members, and vitally, those who are helping in our care settings.

“Many workers are still in their redeployed roles and we definitely could not have responded as quickly to support the city over the past year, if staff hadn’t taken on these roles.

“As a result, some are considering making career changes as they are enjoying their new roles so much.

“We want to say a massive thank you to everyone for their efforts – although we are still in the pandemic, there is light at the end of the tunnel.”