The Welsh Council has overcome Westminster to vote to allow its employees an additional day off on St David’s Day, despite concerns about the cost to taxpayers.
While Scotland and Northern Ireland have bank holidays to honor their patron saints, they don’t celebrate March 1. In Wales, however, you can toast it with annual parades or concerts.
But, Gwynedd’s council cabinet voted on Tuesday to celebrate St David’s Day and offer a bank holiday for its 5,00-strong workforce.
It comes despite fears it will cost £200,000 to employ part-time staff to keep the council running for the day off.
Cabinet members of the council were furious when the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Westminster, responsible for bank holiday in England and Wales, rejected proposals on grounds that it could disrupt business.
The Guardian reports that Councillors were furious at the Government’s treatment of Welsh citizens and began to approach London “like Oliver Twist” for concessions.
They claimed that it was unfair for the Queen to be honored with an extra bank holiday. Wales, however, cannot have a day off in honour of its patron saint.
As they participate in the St David’s Day Parade at Cardiff, people wear flags as well as t-shirts that feature the national flag.
A man dressed as Dewi Sant leads a St David’s day parade in Cardiff, where hundreds of people march through the city in celebration of the patron saint of Wales
Despite annual parades and concerts, there is no special day off to toast March 1 in Wales
Saint David, a Welsh bishop of Mynyw was now revered as the patron saint of Wales
Gwynedd Councillor Dafydd Meurig (right) and Nia Jeffreys (left) have voiced their support for Wales marking St David’s Day with a bank holiday
Gwynedd Council North Wales is going to hold a meeting on the day-off plans
Dyfrig Siencyn is the council leader. He said that Westminster views Wales as “the last colony in its empire”.
He added: ‘It’s really offensive and insulting; our masters in London are treating us as little children who cannot make decisions themselves.
;I think it’s another example of how this government is treating us here in Wales. We should not expect this government to treat us like the last colony of the empire.
Herr Siencyn stated that he hopes other councils will follow his lead.
Nia Jeffreys, another Gwynedd councillor, added: ‘The principle behind it is the importance of St David’s Day for us as a nation, how close it is to our hearts.
‘It’s embarrassing that they can give an extra day off willy nilly for the Queen’s jubilee but we can’t decide for ourselves what day we have off.”
Teachers won’t benefit as long as the conditions of their employment are centrally agreed to.
Staff such as social workers, refuse collectors and librarians, though, will received paid holiday – costing the council around £200,000.
Dilwyn Morgan, a third councillor said Wales must decide what to do with St David’s Day. The days of going through ‘foreign governments like Oliver Twist’ should end.
A spokesperson for the Welsh government said: ‘We’ve repeatedly asked the UK government for the Senedd to have the powers to make St David’s Day a bank holiday, and it’s disappointing to see these requests continue to be refused.’