Council chief tackles sick record

The Council's chief executive says tackling absence is a priority

The new chief executive of Derry City Council has said she will make tackling their "abysmal" sickness record a priority.

Derry has the third highest level of council absenteeism in Northern Ireland, an audit of NI councils found.

The figures showed that staff on Derry City Council had taken an average of 17 days off sick per year.

Valerie Watts said any employee who took advantage of the council's sick leave procedures "will have to go".

Sinn Féin Councillor Maeve McLaughlin said Ms Watts' attitude was encouraging.

"There are obviously very genuine reasons why staff can be off ill, but equally there are high levels of absenteeism that need to be tackled.

"There needs to be direct intervention, and certainly I think this has to be driven forward on the basis of a fair day's work for a fair day's pay.

"I don't think anybody should have anything to fear from that strategy," she said.