'Stressed and tired' Derby City Council staff need more support, says councillor

Derby City Council staff are “often stressed and tired” and need better support around them, a councillor has warned. Reform Derby leader and Alvaston councillor Tim Prosser told a council meeting that no councillor should ever take council staff for granted.

Derby City Council is one of the city’s biggest employers. According to the council’s website, the Labour-led authority has just over 5,000 employees.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, November 20, Councillor and Labour cabinet member Ndukwe Onuoha delivered a speech encouraging councillors and the public to “big up Derby”. He even showed councillors a printed-out poster saying "Big Up Derby" with a Ram in the background.

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Cllr Onuoha called on councillors from all political parties to support those who work hard to make the city a better place to live. He said: “We need to big up Derby by being more positive, recognising our collective achievements, and supporting the people who make this city thrive.

“We need to big up this resilient city. Big up our achievements as a council and big up the everyday people who keep this city moving.”

Reform Derby councillor Tim Prosser responded to the speech saying he felt the council must do better at supporting its staff who are put under “enormous stress”.

He said: “It is easy to take our staff for granted and we really need not to do that. They do an incredible job. It is also our job and something we need to do better to make their lives more bearable.

“While we have made progress on so many things, some of our teams are put under enormous stress which they shouldn’t be. And that is mostly due to our failing one way or another.

“The staff are often looking stressed and tired. It Is extremely difficult for them. We need to make sure they get the proper support.”

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Last week it was reported that the city council received hundreds of complaints earlier this year about grass cutting after concerns the grass was left to grow at a "dangerous" length for motorists and that it made look places untidy. Councillor Prosser referred to the council’s ground maintenance team as a department which needs “better” support.

He added: “As far as cutting the grass goes, the complaints are never aimed at the staff. They do an incredible job.

"But we need to do better to support them in their role to ensure they have the facilities and the staff available to cut the grass so the complaints don’t come in.”

Councillor Onuoha dedicated his speech to several hard-working staff members at the city council. He praised the efforts of one worker on the refuse collection team who walks 112,000 steps a week - "the equivalent of walking from Derby to Birmingham". He also dedicated his speech to cleaning staff and community groups for helping bring Derby together.

He added: “These are the people we must celebrate each and every day. So I urge you to join me in bigging these people up. Big up the waste collectors; big up the drivers, the grass cutters, the instructors, our neighbourhood officers, our Public Protection Officers, our rangers, our cleaners, our businesses, our residents, and our city.

“Fellow councillors, it’s time to big up Derby.”

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