Craigavon Borough Council officially opened the maze at Tannaghmore Gardens last week at a gala ceremony with many of the great and the good invited.

However, the staff who helped to complete the project have said they are shocked at an apparent snub by the council.

One worker who worked on the project said he was shocked that none of the team working on the maze were officially invited to the meeting.

He said: “There was a good team, including agency staff, that worked long and hard on this project, even on the night before the opening we worked long into the night to make sure it was finished and ready for the ceremony.

“I am totally disgusted in the way management have treated the workforce who put a lot of effort and time in only to be snubbed by them at the official opening by the mayor.

“There have been many meetings within council on how to improve staff morale within the workforce, advisers have said we need to move together to create a better atmosphere where management and staff can pull together.

“So then why again has this council singled out the men at grassroots level by handing out invitations to individuals of authority and not those who put a lot of effort into the project.

“We were told on the day that they were welcome to hang about for the opening - as such to pick up the scraps from the master’s table.”

The union GMB said the staff had to witness a ‘black slapping exercise’ by council management at the opening.

GMB convener John Prunty said: “When the union became aware of the situation contact was made with the head of human resources to try to salvage what was becoming a public relations disaster between the council and its workforce.

“A message was later sent to the workforce from management to ‘hang around’ and they would be introduced to the mayor.

“This incensed the workforce and they could not believe that they would be treated in this manner.”

He continued: “As a gesture to the workforce why could an invitation to some if not all the workforce be offered? Or is it, as in recent weeks, the council continuing to alienate staff by taking decisions without considering the potential fallout.”

Mr Prunty used the example of the Trim-Trail project around the balancing lakes when the Central Grounds Maintenance team, including management, was congratulated as a team.

He said: “What has now become obvious with all of the council’s internal difficulties, the efforts of this organisation to portray Craigavon Borough Council as an organisation of the future is proving to be a disaster.

“It is ironic that the motto of the council is ‘together we progress’.”

A council spokeswoman said there were no hard and fast rules on handing out invitations to staff.

She said: “The council recognise the hard work carried out by the maintenance team.

“There was a verbal invitation offered, albeit late in the day, and by this stage the staff had decided to take a half-day.”