Describing it as ‘a warning sign of things to come’, Deputy Mattie McGrath has said the shock decision of South Tipperary County Council to scrap the bonus scheme entitlement for its outdoor staff which has been in place for almost fifty years is ‘deeply troubling’.

Deputy McGrath was speaking after the staff was informed on Friday evening without any prior consultation that the scheme would cease; the reason given was that since North Tipperary County Council have no such scheme in place it was deemed inappropriate in light of the upcoming merger of both councils to continue the scheme in South Tipperary.

Criticising management and the HR department for the move, he said they did not give an ounce of consideration to the vital role played by the outdoor staff who, he described as ‘essentially the frontline workers in terms of maintenance, engineering, road works, flood defences and so on’.

“The outdoor staff does not earn a great wage and this scheme was a huge incentive in terms of productivity and workplace morale all of which is now threatened by the dismal failure of senior management to fight for the well-earned and hard won entitlements of its own staff.”