Unite challenges communities minister Gordon Lyons on delay in Winter Fuel support

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Unite the union NI

Unite has challenged the assurances offered by communities minister Gordon Lyons that a winter fuel payment of £100 will be made “by the end of March”. The commitment offers little comfort to vulnerable pensioners and carers struggling to heat homes.

Delaying vital financial support until spring is an unacceptable failure and risks leaving older people in cold homes throughout the harshest months of the year.

Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham said “The dither and delay on this payment is totally unacceptable and risks the health of the elderly. Ensuring warm homes is a matter of dignity and respect.”

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Northern Ireland SEN schools’ preference for temporary classroom assistants is risking child safety

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Unite the union NI

Candidates holding essential criteria for the post of classroom assistant are being overlooked with positions being filled by unqualified workers on temporary engagement forms

Unite has expressed serious concerns about a race-to-the-bottom on classroom assistant positions at special educational needs (SEN) schools in Northern Ireland.

The union submitted Freedom of Information requests to all 39 SEN schools in Northern Ireland to ask how many were working in the position of temporary classroom assistants and how many of those workers held essential criteria for the job, how many had completed Access NI checks and where they did not, how many risk assessments had been conducted for the positions involved.

With responses in from all 39 SEN schools, a total of 1,179 classroom assistants were reported as being engaged through a temporary engagement form. Only three schools said that all temporary classroom assistants at the school held the essential job criteria. Disturbingly, a majority (21) did not provide a response to whether temporary CAs held essential criteria stating “that they did not hold the information requested”.

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Storm Eowyn: Construction employers try to cheat workers out of day’s leave

Posted on January 26, 2025 by unitetheunion

Unite demands ‘extreme weather’ legislation as workers told to take unpaid day’s leave

Employers accused of shifting closure cost onto workers

Unite, which represents construction workers throughout Ireland, said today (Sunday) that some construction employers instructed workers to take an unpaid day’s leave when sites were closed on Friday because of Storm Eowyn.

Pointing out that withholding pay when employees are unable to work could be considered an unauthorised deduction from wages, and thus unlawful, Unite said it will be supporting workers affected by this practice and challenging employers to ensure that wages are paid.

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Little for workers in ‘Programme for Business’

Posted on January 20, 2025 by unitetheunion

Unite slams failure to restate commitments on living wage, sick pay, and water referendum

Commenting on the draft programme for government, trade union Unite today (Monday) accused the new coalition of ticking off a shopping list of employer demands while paying little attention to the demands of workers.

Unite, which represents workers throughout the economy, pointed out that previous commitments on workers’ rights – including the move to a statutory living wage and the extension of paid sick leave – are notably absent from the document.

Likewise, despite repeated commitments from outgoing minister Darragh O’Brien, the document makes no mention of a referendum enshrining public ownership of water in the constitution – a long-standing demand of unions.

At the same time, the coalition parties appear to have capitulated to a range of employer demands, from deregulation to VAT and PRSI reductions for parts of the hospitality sector.

Unite is also concerned at the commitment to publish an ‘Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity’ which will “include tax and wage policy.” While it is not clear what is meant in this context, Unite and the union movement will not tolerate any attempt to depress workers’ wages and conditions.

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Unite hosts a meeting at Stormont as part of campaign to restore the Winter Fuel Payment

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Unite the union NI

Unite the union will be holding a meeting at the Long Gallery in Stormont today (3.30pm) as part of its campaign to fully restore the Winter Fuel payment.

This meeting will address the devastating impact of the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment and the growing fuel poverty crisis affecting pensioners across Northern Ireland. The meeting aims to provide a chance to work together on solutions and ensure thevoices of those most affected are heard.

The meeting will include:

  • Updates on the Winter Fuel Payment changes, the equality impact assessment, and the Fuel Poverty Strategy.
  • Testimonies from pensioners and community groups.
  • Open discussions on how we can make winter heating support fairer and more effective.
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