Translink unions to ballot members on improved pay offer

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Unite the union NI

Planned 72 hour strike action due to commence midnight on Tuesday is suspended by all three trade unions

Following an improved pay offer by Translink the three public transport trade unions (Unite, GMB and SIPTU), will suspend the forthcoming strike action and will ballot their memberships on the new offer.

Pay negotiations between the transport unions and Translink management were reconvened today (Sunday) following the rejection of an initial pay offer by management on Thursday (22 February). Following the receipt of an improved pay offer for all Translink employees workforce reps suspended the planned 72-hour strike action set for 00.01 on Tuesday (27 February).

Workers in all three trade unions will now be balloted on the offer.

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Inadequate pay offer by Translink rejected by public transport unions

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Unite the union NI

Strike action starting 27 February remains in place 

The three frontline passenger transport unions Unite, GMB and SIPTU have rejected an inadequate pay offer made by Translink yesterday (Thursday 22 February).

The offer was tabled by Translink in pay talks conducted ahead of next week’s planned strike action. Bus and rail workers in the three unions have repeatedly taken strike action to secure a cost of living pay increase.

The 72-hour strike action commencing on a staggered basis from midnight on 27 February remains in place. Unions are fully prepared to return to negotiations provided Translink is prepared to make a substantially improved offer.

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Strike action at Newtownards factory to severely impact Lakeland dairies profits

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Unite the union NI

Workers determined to defend £1 pay an hour differential between skilled grades and bare legal minimum

Strike will bring production to a standstill

Unite the union members working at LE Pritchitt & Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lakeland Dairies, which operates the company’s Global Logistics Centre in Newtownards will take a first week of strike action (beginning on Wednesday 21 February)in a mounting pay dispute. 

Negotiations ended last week without agreement after management refused to provide an increase which maintained a £1 an hour pay differential with the minimum wage for fully trained production operators. 

There are five pay bands for production workers at the factory and the lowest entry grade is currently paid just 10 pence above the minimum wage with fully-trained up production operators paid £11.42 an hour. With the minimum wage set to increase to £11.44 from April 2024, workers are determined to defend a pay differential paid to experienced operators who are required to be trained on operating three separate pieces of machinery. The workers rejected an 8.2 percent offer which failed to deliver this objective.

Speaking ahead of the strike, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Lakeland dairies is a hugely successful business which has recorded record profits. That success is built on the commitment and skills of their production workers. It is completely unacceptable that the forthcoming minimum wage increase will surpass all existing pay grades. 

“The workforce has the full support of Unite in their fight for a cost of living pay increase that reflects their skills and responsibilities.”

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Growing fears that Stormont financial package provides nothing to resolve pay dispute of low paid school support workers.

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Unite the union NI

Unite warns that if there is nothing on the table for a pay and grading review, further strike action is a certainty.

Unite the union has written to finance minister Caoimhe Archibald to clarify whether her £688 million public sector pay package makes any provision for a six-year overdue pay and grading review sought by striking education workers. The union warned that if there was nothing on the table for low-paid school support staff responsible for the care and safety of special educational needs (SEN) children then a return to strike action was a certainty.

The union represents education workers across a variety of low-paid positions including classroom assistants, bus drivers, bus escorts, catering, admin and other school support staff. Pay rates in 2023-24 for workers who provide personal care to SEN children, including on occasion having to conduct medical and life-saving procedures, can be as low as £11.92 an hour. A recent Unite survey highlighted the huge financial pressures resulting from poor pay.

In 2018 the UK-wide NJC pay body instructed a pay and grading review to be delivered to address the mismatch between responsibilities and pay as well as equality concerns for the overwhelmingly female workforce. In the intervening six years consecutive Stormont executives have failed to deliver this review. Education workers in Unite, have been forced to take strike action repeatedly with the aim of securing funding needed for the pay and grading review, to help address low pay, retention issues and the associated staffing crisis.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham warned “School support workers were hopeful that the new Stormont executive would progress the long delayed pay and grading review but after weeks of uncertainty there are now growing fears that the funding needed has not been allocated. We need immediate clarity from the finance minister on whether she has provided anything to resolve the dispute of school support staff.

“If she hasnot, it will be a slap in the face for education workers; many of whom have onerous responsibilities for the care of SEN children. Once again, they will be left with no alternative but to return to the picket lines to secure fair pay, respect and to defend a vital public service.”

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Further strike action unavoidable unless budget addresses low-pay crisis in Northern Ireland school support staffing

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Unite the union NI

95% of school support workers say that there are regular or occasional staffing shortages in their place of work

Unite survey reveals impact of crisis on both workforce health and the care of children 

Unite the union issued a warning that the Stormont Executive must dedicate funding to tackle the low pay driven staffing crisis undermining school support services. In recent months, Unite membership has taken repeated strike action over low pay 

A Unite survey completed by over 500 classroom assistants, transport, catering, cleaning, admin bus drivers and escorts and other school support staff confirmed the scale of the staffing crisis.

  • 37 per cent of school support staff regularly and 41 per cent occasionally considered leaving their job due to low pay. 
  • Over three quarters (76 per cent) reported regular staffing shortages; a further 19 per cent reported occasional staffing shortages.
  • 39 per cent had to work outside their contracted hours or responsibilities on a regular basis to cover with a further 31 per cent doing so occasionally. 

Over two thirds said that staffing levels in their workplace had reached a point where the care of children had been compromised with 35 per cent saying this occurred regularly and 32 per cent said it occurred occasionally. 

The survey also highlighted the mounting toll the crisis was having on workers 53 per cent said they were regularly and 37 per cent occasionally stressed at work. Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) said that this had affected their mental health and over half (51 per cent) said their physical health had been affected. Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) said that they felt tired at work regularly with 29 per cent occasionally.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Chronic low pay of school support staff has created severe staff shortages; workers are at breaking point and education services at risk of collapse. If this isn’t swiftly resolved further strike action will be inevitable.”

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