5,000 council staff to work longer hours

About 5,000 local authority staff will work longer hours from next year for no additional pay under the terms of a Labour Court recommendation.

Staff at city and county councils will work a minimum 34-hour week from next March following the recommendation, while all new staff will work a minimum of 35 hours a week.

The staff who will now face a longer working week are spread across 11 local authorities, but the trade union representing them, Impact, said the ruling was binding and would be respected.