Unions demand urgent meeting with Secretary of State in campaign for a pay increase for bus and rail workers

DfI permanent secretary tells trade unions that inadequate budget leaves him unable to properly fund public transport

Unite, GMB and SIPTU members working in Translink continue to vote in unprecedented coordinated industrial ballot

A delegation of Translink workplace reps and union officers from Unite, GMB and SIPTU met with the permanent secretary of the Department for Infrastructure Denis McMahon this week (Wednesday 1 November). The delegation warned tht workers are set to vote for strike action over a proposed pay freeze by Translink management.

The permanent secretary expressed regret that he was unable to provide ‘clarity’ on a timeframe for improved public transport funding to allow bus and rail workers to receive a fair pay increase as his “department does not have the resources it needs”.

All three unions have now written to secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, who has responsibility for setting the budget for departments in the absence of a functioning Stormont executive. They are seeking a meeting on the funding of public transport services to allow for a pay increase for Translink workers.

If transport workers vote for industrial action, industrial action could commence from early December. Any industrial action would bring Northern Ireland to a standstill and have a huge impact on the economy.

The anniversary date (when a pay increase was due) for these pay negotiations was April 2023 and the twelve-month inflation at that point using RPI – the most accurate measure – was 11 per cent. That means in real terms workers are facing more than a 11 per cent pay cut.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is entirely unacceptable that during the worst cost of living crisis in generations, public transport workers are faced with a pay freeze. Our members cannot bear such a burden. The secretary of state has to act and act immediately to avoid an escalating industrial dispute.”

SIPTU Regional Organiser for Northern Ireland Niall McNally said: “Public transport in Northern Ireland remains the poor relation compared to public transport elsewhere in Ireland and Britain. It is beyond unacceptable that this situation has reached the point where workers are being told that there’s no money to pay any pay increase.

“The permanent secretary expressed he was uncomfortable with the situation but is clearly unable to properly fund public transport services here. He pointed us towards the UK government who are setting the budgets, in the absence of a functioning Stormont Executive. The public transport workers will now take their campaign to the door of the Tory Secretary of State. He must now intervene to resolve this dispute.”

Regional Organiser for the GMB Peter Macklin said: “Secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, has clearly imposed this sanctions budget on Northern Ireland departments to use workers and those dependent on public services to secure his wider political agenda. The reality is that by underfunding public services to this extent he is engaging in collective punishment of our communities and public sector workers for the failure of local politicians.

“Mr Heaton-Harris needs to recognise that the game he is playing is only likely to exacerbate the crisis further. We want to sit down with him and demand he reverses tack and properly funds public services – in particular, public transport services – so that workers are not forced to take strike action which will have such a dramatic impact.”

ENDS…