As Unite members in councils, education and housing across Northern Ireland continue strike action, the union has hit out at the misinformation from the employers.
The workers are on strike in pursuit of a pay increase to recover earnings lost through over a decade of attacks on wages and to help combat the harm to earnings caused by surging inflation.
The union is challenging the National Joint-Council (NJC) employers to stop the disinformation and own up to the powers that they do have to end the dispute by improving workers’ pay.
Unite says that, despite their constant claims to the contrary, the employers can develop local formulas that would allow an offer above the present 1.75 percent, which is way below the current real rate of inflation (RPI) of nine per cent. Most other pay and conditions – such as overtime and public holidays – can be set locally giving scope for councils to move.
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