Tree trimming assignments during peak rush hour periods on busy streets has become the focal point of a shift change implemented by the City of Hamilton.The city’s Parks Department staff maintain they were told last year that the shift change would be temporary and would last only a few weeks.One year later it is still in effect and staff charged with keeping city streets pristine clean feel there is the added danger of safety on the job both to them and motorists.The safety issue was evident during the morning rush hour Wednesday morning on Front Street. Crewmen trimming trees were dodging heavy traffic while doing what they were charged to do.One worker told The Royal Gazette the previous shift started at 6am to 1.30pm, which allowed parks staff to trim trees on busy streets before the peak rush hour periods in Hamilton. The new shift starts at 7.30am through to 4pm.A number of workers have questioned the reasoning behind the move which was only going to be in effect for a few weeks.“All we’re really trying to do is get the city looking as good as it did before the schedule changed to get the work out of the way before the rush hour begins,” said one employee.Speaking on the condition of anonymity he said: “When we started at 6am we were able to get a lot of the work on busy streets out of the way before the heavy traffic begins.“We’ve had several meetings with the Bermuda Industrial Union and management but nothing has changed. We want to start earlier to get the work out of the way early daily,” he said.A spokeswoman for the City of Hamilton in response to a query by this newspaper said the workers are “currently working as per their job description with regard to shift times”.“The staff currently has two 15-minute breaks and a one-hour lunch period. An informal agreement was in place, allowing staff to start their shift early, work through their lunch break and subsequently leave early.“This agreement was not sanctioned by the Bermuda Industrial Union and the City’s management team eliminated the practice to ensure staff were working as per the terms of their job descriptions,” she said.“All workers are entitled to breaks and given the type of work carried out by the staff, oftentimes during the height of summer, breaks and lunch periods are vital for their health and well-being.“The City of Hamilton is in full support of the current job descriptions and has measures in place to ensure workers receive and take the breaks to which they are entitled.In order for shift times to change, as requested by staff, the job descriptions would have to be amended and agreed by the Union as per the Collective Agreement,” she added.When contacted BIU Organiser Graham Nesbitt confirmed the union is currently in talks with the City of Hamilton on the shift-change issue.“It's a process that we’re going through, I came on board as organiser for the City workers a few months ago,” said Mr Nesbitt.“We will work it out, like all things we will have discussions and come to an agreement. At the last union meeting with staff, not enough staff members were there to tell me what they really want.“The union operates based on the consensus of the majority, the safety issue is an issue that must be addressed and I am confident an agreement will be reached,” he said.