The move follows revelations by Highland Council's budget chairman Cllr David Alston that the local authority is facing £13 million in savings this year.

But Shane Manning, Highland branch officer for public sector union Unison, has come fire from the leader of the council's administration Michael Foxley and also Bòrd na Gàidhlig. They say his comments are at odds with the union's policy which is to support the diversity of culture and language.

But Mr Manning said: "I would emphasise that we are not against the promotion of Gaelic culture. Many of our members are Gaelic speakers and we support minority groups. But we must recognise this is an issue which transcends local and national government."

He said the subject had been debated at Unison's Highland branch AGM earlier this year and there were concerns about the safety of the signs and there was no demand for them in some parts of the Highlands.

Mr Manning said it wasn't only the council which received Scottish Government cash for replacement signage but the trunks road authority as well.

"Eighty per cent of the funding the council receives comes from central government. If central government wasn't allocating this money for bilingual road signage, it would be available to Highland Council to protect jobs and services," he said. "We have looked at the services our members deliver to the people of the Highlands and if they were to lose their jobs it would have a devastating impact on the local economy, as well as on services."

Mr Manning said: "Unison Highland branch has a mandate from our membership to oppose bilingual signing. It may not be a vast amount of money but it's one example of where money could be saved just now.

Unison official Shane Manning has called on the council and the Scottish Government to stop spending money on bilingual road signs Bobby Nelson

"Unison have already made it clear to Highland Council that our members do not support the expenditure on bilingual signing on the road network by local and central government."

He described warnings by the ruling administration of the need to cut hundreds of jobs as "unhelpful".

"The dedicated and diverse workforce that the employer is threatening is the single most valuable asset it has. These staff deliver council services under great pressure," he added.

The council's policy is to put up signs only when they need replacing and it has received a budget of £80,000 from the government to meet the additional cost of adding Gaelic to the signage.

The council's administration leader Councillor Michael Foxley said: "I think Unison should stop bleating about this issue. The cost of adding Gaelic to these signs represents only a few per cent of the total cost and the signs are only being replaced when they need to be replaced. "

Government agency Bòrd na Gàidhlig's chairman Arthur Cormack said that in 2007-08 the council spent £935,000 or 0.18 per cent of its then £518m budget, on Gaelic from its own resources.

He added: "Bòrd na Gàidhlig has granted £80k to the Highland Council in the past three years to assist with the cost of bilingual signs. This is Gaelic development money which would not be available to the council for any other purpose."

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