SOME of the council's lowest paid workers are working round the clock to keep frontline services running and putting themselves at risk warns a leading union rep.

Unite shop steward Stuart Graham says the refuse collectors, street sweepers, cleaners and others are the unsung heroes of the coronavirus outbreak.

They are helping out all over Inverclyde during the lockdown.

Stuart Graham, a council gardener, said: "It is hard going and people are facing huge challenges.

"But where would we be without these people.

"They are putting themselves at risk every day for others.

"But these are some of the lowest paid staff within Inverclyde Council and some of the lowest paid in any local authority across Scotland.

"They deserve a huge thank-you - all the refuse collectors, parks department staff and street sweepers who are helping with bin collecting.

"We should also thank the janitors, cleaners and cooks who are helping out in the schools."

Inverclyde Council has been forced to put emergency measures in place in the face of the coronavirus.

Bin collections have been reduced, car parks closed and staff are working across other departments to help with sickness as employees are forced to self-isolate.

Teams of council workers are ferrying refuse collectors around in mini buses to meet social distancing regulations.

At the same time local authority staff are playing a vital role providing families in need across Inverclyde with free school meals.

They are also staffing the vital childcare hubs which enable keyworkers to keep on working on the frontline looking after patients.

Stuart, who also praised IT staff for a huge effort to get laptops ready for home working and the homeless service staff, added: "We are under pressure.

"It is difficult because at Unite we also have to protect our members and I am pleased with what the council have put in place so far.

"They do listen and are getting most of it right."

"I would like to put a big thank-you out to all our Unite members locally, and their colleagues who are out keeping Inverclyde running through these difficult times."