Bin collectors and gritter teams hailed front line heroes amid Highland councillor's plea to public to be patient during coronavirus crisis
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FRONT LINE workers clearing snow and emptying bins have been praised for their efforts during the pandemic by a city councillor – who has urged the public to be patient amid lockdown’s added pressures.
Inverness South member Ken Gowans singled out the likes of Highland Council’s gritting teams and bin collection staff when he spoke at the economy and infrastructure committee.
A report that went before councillors highlighted the impact that the latest lockdown was having on council operations – with increased pressure everywhere from road operations and bridge assessment works, to flood management and the delivery of new affordable housing.
And, paying tribute to council staff for their efforts during these challenging times, Cllr Gowans also urged the public to be patient owing to the longer time required to get things done while sticking to social distancing rules.
He said: “It’s not business as usual, and I’d like to make an appeal to the public in many respects, because it’s very easy to take things for granted, that it is business as usual and we’ll pick up [the phone] and we’ll complain about a pot hole or gritting or what have you, and it’s not.”
He added that this was “especially” the case in terms of gritting, where lockdown and heavy winter snows were having an impact.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our gritting teams – because a lot of these operators are getting up early in the morning, they’re leaving family at 5am to go down to start their shift to get the gritting done.
“They’re having to work in socially distant conditions. It’s very difficult but, as soon as we get a touch of cold weather, we get inundated with calls, [and] I’m sure all councillors are the same.
“To some degree that’s understandable, but I think we need to consider the conditions that these, and many other areas of the council, are working in, and that it’s not business as usual. Many of our staff are seconded to other departments or working on Covid-related issues etc, and we are trying to do what we can, so obviously we do need to prioritise.
“The other group of people that we don’t tend to acknowledge actually are the binmen. Binmen are very much frontline workers. They are putting themselves at risk. They are handling hundreds of thousands of bins every day, and the risks to them are significant.
“And, again, I think we need to acknowledge the contribution that they are making. So, in essence, I think [this report] is a very appropriate paper to set the tone, and say to people, look we need to be perhaps a bit more understanding that things might just take that wee bit longer – but we will get there.”
Responding, committee chairwoman Cllr Trish Robertson, said: “Yes, that’s well said Ken – thank you for that”.
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