Council staff - Bullied, stressed and overworked

And three-quarters said they are more stressed than they were a year ago. Of the more than 2,000 workers in Britain and Northern Ireland quizzed by Unison, 60 per cent work more than their contracted hours. Almost a quarter report doing unpaid overtime in workplaces including schools, libraries and care homes.

Unison head of local government Heather Wakefield stormed: “Council staff are being worked into the ground because of government cutbacks. “If you neglect the people who empty our bins, who support our children and care for our vulnerable relatives then you neglect the services we all depend upon. Everyone suffers if those on the front line are so stressed and undermined they cannot do their jobs properly.”

Sixty-three per cent said morale has declined, and three-quarters reported an increase in workload and pressure in the past 12 months. The Under Pressure, Underfunded and Undervalued report said workers are most likely to be abused by service users — but 17 per cent said they had witnessed harassment from bosses. Staff said they had faced violence, verbal abuse, physical threats and harassment.

Incomes Data Research, which carried out the groundwork, also found that 63 per cent of council workers had experienced a workplace reorganisation that had led to staffing and resource cuts.

Full report: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-807a-Unison-Conference-Council-staf...