Decision to exclude minimum wage workers from negotiated pay increase indefensible in light of verbal assurances offered by Translink Chief Executive

Union calls on Minister Hazzard to ensure Translink becomes a fully-accredited Living Wage employer

November 17th: Unite Regional Officer, Davy McMurray, expressed his union’s dismay after Translink management refused to extend a two percent pay increase to workers receiving a minimum wage:

“In his first meeting with Unite after assuming the role of Translink Chief Executive, Chris Conway committed himself to the company becoming a fully-accredited Living Wage employer.

“This would have meant that all workers would be paid a Living Wage, currently set at £8.45 an hour. It was precisely because this only affected approximately forty ancillary cleaners employed by the company that he was happy to commit to addressing the issue of poverty pay in his workforce.

“Unfortunately Translink management and Chris Conway have betrayed that pledge. Indeed, they have refused to offer minimum wage workers anything more than the bare statutory annual increase, excluding the lowest paid workers from the two percent increase given to all other Translink employees.

“According to the latest company accounts, Chris Conway earns more in a few weeks than many of these workers earn in a year; so perhaps he doesn’t understand or doesn’t care what it is like to strive through in-work poverty. But those who clean the offices and clean the buses work as hard as any other, and deserve to be paid a Living Wage.

“In light of the failure of management on this issue, we are calling for Minister Hazzard to intervene and ensure Translink becomes a fully-accredited Living Wage employer”, Mr McMurray concluded.