NI Ambulance workers vote for industrial action in shift dispute 

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Unite the union NI

Management proposals risk leaving areas without adequate ambulance cover and are an attempt to make paramedics pay the price for a staffing crisis they did not cause

Paramedics and ambulance workers in Unite have voted decisively for industrial action in a recent consultative ballot. In total 86 per cent indicated a willingness to take strike action on management proposals to impose a new shift system.

The new shifts were to be piloted in the South Eastern health and social care area for a year and would see a significant reduction in ambulance cover at nighttime. While the new shifts are only being trialled in the South East they will impact ambulance services across Northern Ireland. 

Existing NIAS cover arrangements see ambulances travel from across Northern Ireland to cover shortfalls. The new shifts will increase the likelihood for such long journeys which then has a knock-on impact leaving other areas, especially rural ones, with insufficient cover.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary said: “These new shifts are just a bandage to cover over the ambulance service staffing crisis. Ambulance workers will not pay the price for a crisis they didn’t cause.”

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HSE: Unite serves notice of industrial action over staffing crisis

Posted on March 10, 2025 by unitetheunion

Unite, which represents a range of grades across the Health Services Executive (HSE), said today (Monday) that it has served notice of industrial action over the staffing crisis resulting from the HSE’s ‘Pay and Numbers Strategy.’

Last year it emerged that, despite the HSE’s claim that a recruitment ban had ended, vacancies are being benchmarked against the 2024 headcount. The result is that any vacancies unfilled in 2023 have effectively been lost to the health service, leaving a staffing shortfall of over 2,000 posts.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “HSE workers have been trying to do more with less while worrying constantly that patients are not getting the care they deserve due to the staffing crisis.

“The ongoing failure to address the issue has left our members with no choice but to take action in defence of patient safety and their own working conditions.”

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Cork brown water: Unite demands action as tests confirm contamination ahead of protest

Posted on February 27, 2025 by unitetheunion

Iron and manganese levels render water unsuitable for human consumption

Protest set for Grand Parade on Saturday

Unite, which represents water service workers in Cork and around the country, today announced the results of tests carried out on Cork’s ‘brown water’. Unite had sent samples to a Health Services Executive (HSE) laboratory for testing following significant concerns regarding water quality in parts of Cork and surrounding areas. 

The HSE laboratory tests showed excessive levels of manganese at over 300 μg/l (parametric value 50) and iron at over 600 μg/l (parametric value 200).  The laboratory noted that “water with these levels of iron and manganese is not suitable for human consumption” and said that “treatment is recommended”.

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Retired workers meet communities’ minister Gordon Lyons demanding reversal of winter fuel payment cuts

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Unite the union NI
Unite Campaigners hand over thousands of public responses demanding restoration of the winter fuel payment for pensioners

Campaigners hand over thousands of submissions demanding restoration of universal payment and criticising after the fact DfC Equality Impact Assessment

Thousands of consultation responses demanding the restoration of the universal Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) were today (27 February) handed over to the department for communities (DfC) during a demonstration organised by Unite retired members. The consultations were received personally by communities’ minister Gordon Lyons who met with a delegation from the campaign.

The demonstration was joined by campaigners from across the anti-poverty movement as well as retired workers and pensioners who were demanding restoration of the winter fuel payment.

General secretary Sharon Graham said “Pensioners are being forced to choose between heating and eating. This cut is disgraceful, and the £100 offered as compensation is entirely inadequate. The department for communities must reverse this cruel policy immediately.”

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Retired workers to demonstrate at department for communities over winter fuel cut

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Unite the union NI

Thousands of consultation submissions to be handed over by Unite campaigners to communities minister Gordon Lyons

What: Protest by winter fuel campaigners at hand over of submissions to the department for communities

When: 14:00, Thursday 27 February 2025

Where: Department for communities (DfC), Causeway Exchange, 1-7 Bedford St, Belfast BT2 7EG.

Thousands of consultation responses demanding the total restoration of the universal winter fuel payment (WFP) will be handed to communities minister Gordon Lyons during a demonstration organised by Unite retired members on Thursday, 27 February. 

The protest follows the UK government’s decision to slash the WFP, restricting it to pensioners on means-tested benefits, such as pension credit. Within weeks, the Northern Ireland executive followed suit, excluding thousands of retired workers with modest, contribution-based pensions. The DfC’s £100 one-off payment per household falls far short of the original £200 per person benefit and has yet to be paid to pensioners.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Pensioners are being forced to choose between heating and eating due to this cut is disgraceful. The department for communities must fully reverse this cruel policy immediately.”

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