Gwynedd Council makes St David’s Day a bank holiday for staff in defiance of Westminster
COUNCIL workers will be able to enjoy an extra day’s holiday this year to celebrate St David’s Day.
Gwynedd Council’s cabinet decided to authorise the additional holiday to staff to “mark the national importance and status of St David’s Day” on March 1.
The move is contrary to a decision by the Westminster Government to refuse to devolve the power to Wales to decide its national holidays.
Cllr Nia Jeffreys, who leads on the council’s corporate affairs, said the decision sent an “important message”.
But other councillors were worried about the cost of the extra day’s holiday – about £200,000 – and that the Westminster Government had refused to devolve the power to set public holidays to the Welsh Government.
They were also concerned that teachers were not included in the scheme as their holidays are set nationally.
Proposing the move, Ms Jeffreys said: “It is a national disgrace that, in Wales, we cannot choose and identify our own significant events, be they culturally, linguistically or of importance to our heritage.
“Westminster refuses to devolve the power to the Welsh Government to decide on this fundamental right.
“We are seeking the same powers as Scotland and Northern Ireland to choose our own bank holidays and give proper status to our nationally significant events.”
Cllr Dafydd Meurig, the council’s deputy leader, said: “As the largest employer in the county, offering a day’s holiday to the majority of our staff on St David’s Day is a sign of our appreciation for their work during what has been a challenging time.
“Unfortunately, due to the national terms and conditions of teachers’ contracts which is outside our remit, we are unable to include them in the process this year.
“By introducing this additional bank holiday this year, we hope that other councils and public organisations can follow suit and more pressure can be placed on the Government at Westminster to devolve the power to Wales to decide its own public holidays and extend the extra day to the whole workforce as well as the private sector. That would be the ideal, to ensure all workers from all sectors have a national holiday to celebrate St David’s Day on March 1.
“If Ireland’s St Patrick’s public holiday is anything to go by, the potential is there for Wales to benefit economically.”
Gwynedd councillors unanimously voted for the cabinet to officially designate St David’s Day a holiday for the workforce on March 1.
Ms Jeffreys noted that it was a cross-party decision, with all the council’s political groups voting in favour of the proposal.
Following the vote, Cllr Elwyn Edwards, who brought the proposal before full council, said: “I am delighted this proposal has been passed today.
“It gives a clear message: we are serious, here in Gwynedd, to challenge the British rule of disregarding our own identity and heritage within Wales.
“In a year where extra bank holidays are thrown at us and there are discussions about street tea parties in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of the English monarchy, it shows here in Gwynedd we are serious about leading our own identity nationally.”