Parties must commit to holding water referendum within 100 days of next government

Posted on June 25, 2024 by unitetheunion

Water workers condemn government failure to honour referendum commitment

Trade union Unite, which represents water service workers, today (Tuesday) called on all political parties to issue a public commitment that they will hold a referendum enshrining public ownership of Ireland’s water services in the constitution within 100 days of forming the next government. 

Unite is a member of the trade union ‘Keep Water Public’ campaign, which has been pushing the government to honour its commitment to hold a referendum on the matter.

Unite’s Irish secretary Susan Fitzgerald said:

“A general election will be held within the next eight months, and quite possibly before the end of the year.

“After years of campaigning by water service workers, the current government promised to hold a referendum enshrining our water services in the constitution. However, it failed to follow through and name a date for our referendum – and now the clock is running down on the government’s term.

“Water service workers are putting all parties on notice: Workers, their families and the wider community will not tolerate any further political foot-dragging. Political parties must issue a watertight commitment that they will hold a referendum within 100 days of forming the next government – and they must make that commitment a condition of entering government.”

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University Hospital Waterford: Unite warns of dispute escalation amidst management threats

Posted on June 24, 2024 by unitetheunion

Health Service Executive accused of violating public service agreement

Trade union Unite, which represents support staff at University Hospital Waterford (UHW), today (Monday) warned that the current work-to-rule by laundry, catering and portering grades may escalate unless the Health Service Executive (HSE) reverses its decision to withhold pay increases due to staff.

Workers have been engaging in a work-to-rule since 27 May following the HSE’s failure to include laundry workers at UHW in a regrading scheme and their decision not to award incremental credits to portering and catering workers.

The HSE wrote to Unite last Thursday (20 June) stating that it would not be paying Unite members at the hospital the pay increases due to them under the agreement.

Unite regional officer Eoin Drummey said:

“The HSE’s arbitrary decision to exclude UHW support staff from a regrading scheme and incremental credits caused the dispute in the first place. It then failed to put in place adequate contingency plans to ensure that patient services were maintained during the ongoing work-to-rule.

“Now, it is withholding agreed pay increases contained under the current public service agreement, in what Unite considers to be a blatant violation of the agreement, and has further threatened our members’ core pay.

“Such threats against workers cannot and will not be tolerated.”

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Unite rally demanding end to hostile environment for unions at ABC council

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Unite the union NI

Union calls for immediate reinstatement of shop steward

When: 18:00, Monday June 24 2024

Where: Craigavon Civic & Conference Centre, Craigavon

Unite is organising a protest of trade unionists at Craigavon civic and conference centre ahead of this month’s general meeting of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. The protest follows the sacking of a Unite workplace rep last week. The sacking was the latest in a series of actions about which unions have raised concerns.

Unite has formally registered a trade dispute with Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and the union is proceeding to ballot members for industrial action in response.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “An attack against a union rep is an attack against every union member in a workplace. Unite cannot and will not accept this attack against our shop steward.

“The council has been put on notice that Unite will use all the power in its arsenal to get this disgraceful decision overturned.”

 Regional secretary Susan Fitzgerald who will speak at the protest, said:  “Senior management at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon borough council appear intent on creating a hostile environment for unions. If they do not reverse their stance they will be met head on by the strength of Unite.

“Unite is in the process of balloting our members for industrial action; management need to back off and reinstate our rep.”

The union has written to all 41 councillors at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to invite them to attend the protest and to ask that they demand management end the hostile environment for unions.

ENDS…

For further information or to arrange an interview contact Donal O’Cofaigh, Unite Campaigns, Comms & Press (NI), tel. 07810 157926. 

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Spirit Aerosystems in Northern Ireland must be transferred intact to Airbus following Boeing acquisition, demands Unite

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Unite the union NI

Unite, which represents the overwhelming majority of the Spirit Aerosystems workforce across the UK, has raised serious concerns about Boeing’s acquisition of the company. Unite is seeking urgent assurance the purchase will proceed with Airbus acquiring all those parts of the business which fall into its supply chain – keeping Belfast and Prestwick manufacturing operations intact with no loss of jobs.

Unite has already raised its concerns about the future of the Spirit workforce at the highest levels.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, said, “The livelihoods of workers must not be put at risk as corporate giants carve up the future of this company. It is vital that all workers are quickly given cast iron guarantees over their futures.

“Unite will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the future of this highly skilled and dedicated workforce at Spirit is fully protected.”

Spirit Aerosystems (formerly Bombardier and Shorts) is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest companies employing approximately 3,600 workers across its sites. Unite estimates that a further 7,000 jobs in Northern Ireland, are dependent on Spirit’s activities. While most of Spirit’s production in Northern Ireland is for Airbus, approximately 40 per cent of jobs are tied to lines for other air manufacturers including Bombardier and Rolls Royce.  There are approximately 1,000 workers employed at the company’s factory in Prestwick and Unite is demanding the same assurances over their futures.

Any deal in which production lines or sites in the Airbus supply chain transfer to Airbus but non-Airbus production transfers to Boeing or a third-party poses a clear concern for jobs. Unite is concerned that a break-up would undermine wider economies of scale and raise a longer-term threat to all operations.

Unite’s regional co-ordinating officer George Brash said: “All Spirit’s operations in Northern Ireland must transfer together – so that our members’ jobs are secure and the aerospace manufacturing base is safeguarded.

ENDS…

For further information or to arrange an interview contact Donal O’Cofaigh, Unite Campaigns, Comms & Press (NI), tel. 07810 157926.

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Industrial dispute at Harland and Wolff ends after workforce vote to accept significant pay increase

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Unite the union NI

Workers accept pay offer which provides increase of 13% for skilled trades and 10.5% for general operatives.

Unite the union which represents the majority of workers employed at Harland and Wolff has confirmed that an industrial dispute over pay has been resolved after workers voted decisively to accept an improved pay offer.

The pay offer amounts to an increase of 13 per cent for skilled trades and 10.5 per cent for semi-skilled, stores and general operatives. The deal will be backdated to the beginning of 2024.

 Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This inflation-beating pay increase is a big win for our members and has been won through negotiations on the basis of our union’s strength in the workplace.

“Yet again, it demonstrates the importance of workers being members of a strong union and having strong union structures. Unite is working hard to secure both pay and job security for our members at Harland and Wolff.”

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