Scotland's roads staff 'overworked' as budget cuts bite

Budget cuts are having a detrimental impact on Scotland's roads, according to a new report.

Research by Unison Scotland found staff are overworked and suffering from low morale.

The report discovered that across the country, council road budgets have reduced by 21% since 2011/12.

They say cuts are “severely impacting on local authorities' ability to deliver a high-quality service''.

The union carried out a survey in September with about 250 workers, engineers, technicians, team leaders and managers responsible for road maintenance, traffic management and street lighting.

More than three-quarters (76%) said they had experienced budget cuts in their workplace, with 72% saying their workload was now heavier and more than half skipping breaks or working late to get work done.

A majority (88%) stated morale in their team was low or very low, with 78% saying they did not expect it to get any better in the next few years.

The research also identified 296 vacancies in road teams, with the number likely to be higher as some councils did not respond to a freedom of information request for the information.

“The lack of a pay rise is impacting on both the current workforce and authorities' ability to recruit and retain staff.'' the report concluded, highlighting the difficulty in recruiting younger workers.

The union said its members reported that as a result of these pressures they were “patching roads, doing cheaper minor repairs and short-term fixes rather than major works''.

Dave Watson, the union's head of policy and public affairs, said: “Unison's report uncovers the simple truth, that there is just too much work to do with too few staff.

“Road use in Scotland is increasing and the demands on this workforce increases every year.

“We also need to meet our climate-change targets and improve air quality. This is not the time to cut back on road workers.

“We are storing up real problems for the future. Quick fixes mean roads will need more expensive repairs in years to come.

“We are losing workers with high-quality skills and experience, and not replacing them, and the workforce is getting older with less young people joining road teams.

“A decent road network is crucial to Scotland's businesses, public services and quality of life. It is vital that we have a well-maintained roads network.''

A spokesman for council body Cosla said: “Despite the financial pressures, Scotland's councils are doing their best to maintain roads at a stable level.

“There is a strain on all our services and that is why we are looking for a fair settlement in the budget next week.

“We really are getting to the stage where there is no room left to manoeuvre."