Strike action by roads service and education authority workers to continue in absence of movement from secretary of state

Workers have been left with no alternative but to extend and deepen their industrial action to defend public services and win a cost of living pay increase

Following today’s historic, one-day public sector strike in Northern Ireland, Unite has confirmed that industrial action by its members will continue in the absence of any move by the secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris to release the funds necessary to provide a cost of living pay increase. 

Today’s strike action by public transport workers brought to a standstill all bus and rail services operated by Translink, Northern Ireland’s public transport provider. Representatives of the three public transport unions participating in the action, Unite, GMB and SIPTU, will meet tomorrow (19 January) to agree the next steps in their industrial campaign. Public transport workers have been offered no pay increase whatsoever, after a punitive budget was imposed by the secretary of state on Translink’s funder, the department for infrastructure. 

Unite members working for the roads service and the forestry service will continue their strike action for a further six days during which time the union’s wider membership in the civil service will refuse to volunteer to provide winter maintenance cover (gritting) as part of their industrial action. Members of Unite working in the education authority are set to take a further six days of strike action over the next three weeks. 

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary said. “Today’s strike action represented a milestone in the fightback in defence of public services. Chris Heaton-Harris needs to recognise the determination of workers to secure a fair pay increase. 

“Unite is full square behind the fight of public sector workers in Northern Ireland for fair pay and respect.”

Susan Fitzgerald Unite’s regional secretary in Ireland. “Today demonstrates the power of working people when we stand together in solidarity. That lesson needs to be learnt not just by Chris Heaton-Harris but by politicians and employers everywhere. Nothing in society works, unless workers do.

“The secretary of state has displayed nothing but callous disrespect for our public sector workers and imposed a brutal budget which is deeply harmful to our public services. He has sought to use workers and public services as a sacrificial pawn but his gambit has clearly failed. If he refuses to release the funds for a cost of living pay increase workers will have no alternative but to further extend and deepen our action.”