Isles council staff not getting World Cup public holiday

Council workers in the Western Isles are not being given a public holiday to mark Scotland's men's national team playing in its first World Cup since 1998.

First Minister John Swinney said 15 June should be designated as a national bank holiday, and the proposal was later approved by the King.

Only public sector employees in areas controlled by the Scottish government would be assured of a day off, depending on their contract, though other employers could follow suit.

Isles councillors have unanimously agreed the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar should not take the holiday because the authority could not afford to give workers an extra day off.

The public holiday has been planned for around Scotland's first match.

The team will face Haiti in Boston at 02:00 BST on Sunday 14 June, before taking on Morocco and Brazil in their remaining group fixtures in the United States.

The comhairle, one of the first councils to make a decision on the holiday, is facing a deficit of £4.1m in the coming financial year and councillors will have to decided how to plug the gap.

The local authority, which employs about 2,000 people, said there were costs around giving an additional day's leave.

It estimated the extra public holiday could cost at least £120,000.

In a report, officials said additional holidays were given in 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee and later that year to mark her state funeral.

However, a public holiday was not granted in 2023 for the King's Coronation.

The officials said cost was just one of the challenges.

They said: "There are no obvious public holidays which could be changed to accommodate the day, and this is complicated by the fact that different public holidays are observed within the Western Isles.

"Given the costs involved, it is not possible for a positive recommendation to be made."