Ireland Region BAEM Committee Statement on the Events in Dublin on Thursday 23 November

Posted on November 24, 2023 by unitetheunion

November 24th: Unite’s Ireland Region Black and Asian Ethnic Minorities (BAEM) Committee has issued the following statement on events in Dublin last yesterday:

The horrific knife attack on school children and the staff member in Dublin City Centre has shocked the entire country. Our thoughts, our sympathy and solidarity are with the victims of this attack and their families.

We are further shocked by the horrific scenes in the city centre later that day. Using the horrific stabbing incident and turning it into anti-migrant hate, a group of rioters have targeted public transport, various shops, and accommodation venues. They have burned public buses, a Luas train and cars. Chanting anti-immigrant slogans and claiming to protect the women and children of this nation against the “danger of migrants”, they have endangered the safety of people of Dublin.

We express our solidarity with the transport and all other public and retail workers who are affected by these far-right led attacks. We also express our solidarity with all migrants and minorities, who are fellow members of our society.

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Unite announces strikes by Education Authority workers on Friday 1 December

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Industrial action by school support workers, including bus drivers, set to coincide with wider public transport strike

Unite the union has today notified the Education Authority of a further 24-hour strike by school support staff commencing at 00.01am on Friday 1 December. The strike action follows two days of industrial action last week and is timed to coincide with a strike by public transport workers on bus and rail services. 

The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a 94 per cent majority for strikes in pursuit of a pay and grading review to help address the chronic issue of low pay among education support staff. 

The strike is likely to cause significant disruption to many schools given the concentration of Unite membership in school bus transport, catering, admin, cleaning, classroom assistants and other roles. 

The timing of the strike will mean that Unite members working as school bus drivers are taking strike action alongside Unite members in Ulsterbus, Citybus and the Glider who also provide school transport services.

The strike is the latest development in Unite’s ongoing industrial dispute over the failure to deliver a 2018pay and grading review for education workers which was subsequently negotiated on the back of industrial action by Unite in 2022.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The failure to implement the pay and grading review leaves our low paid members working in the Education Authority no alternative but to escalate their strike action. The school support staff workers have the full and continuing support of Unite in their campaign for fair pay.”

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Unite lodges notice of first 24-hour strike action on December 1 by workers at Ulsterbus and Citybus

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Following last week’s ballot of members on Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider services, Unite the union has today notified Translink management that its members are to commence a 24-hour strike from 00.01 on Friday 1 December.

Unite is the largest union at Translink and represents more than half the company’s workforce. The strike will mean no bus services operate on the day of the strike. 

The strike action is a result of Translink attempting to force a pay freeze on its workers.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members have been left with no alternative but to take strike action. Trying to instigate a pay freeze is never acceptable, to do so during the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation is abhorrent.

“The Translink workers will have the full support of Unite in their fight to win a fair pay deal.”

Unite’s regional officer for Translink, Albert Hewitt, said:  “Action by our members will mean that there are no bus services operating by Ulsterbus, Citybus or Glider that day.

“This is only the first in a series of strikes planned by our members over the coming weeks. Unless management returns to the negotiating table with an offer of a real-terms pay increase, our members will be left with no alternative but to escalate industrial action to defend their incomes.“

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All three frontline public transport trade unions record overwhelming votes for strike action over pay freeze

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Vote raises prospect of bus and rail services in Northern Ireland being brought to a standstill

Unions convene discussion with workplace reps to agree schedule of strike action

All three leading public transport unions representing frontline public transport workers report large majorities for strike action and action short of strike action among Translink employees responding in recent industrial action ballots. Unite reported a vote for strike action of 95.5%; GMB of 95.6% for strike and SIPTU of 93.1% – all on turnouts of 60% to 70%.

The votes were taken by all three unions over a three-week period and followed a zero-percent pay offer by Translink management with no date being provided for talks on an improved pay offer. Translink and the Department for Infrastructure which funds them are pointing the finger of blame for the situation at the inadequacy of budgets provided as a result of the budget settlement imposed by the Secretary of State.

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Construction: Strike threat secures 12.7% pay boost for mechanical workers

Posted on November 21, 2023 by unitetheunion

Deal improves on Labour Court recommendation rejected by Unite members

November 21st: Unite, which represents construction workers throughout the country, announced today (Tuesday) that it has secured a 12.7 per cent pay boost for plumbers, pipefitters and welders from January 2023 until 2026.

The proposed deal improves on a Labour Court recommendation which was rejected by Unite members who subsequently voted by nearly 85 per cent to take strike action.

The agreement between Unite and MEBSCA (Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association) will see members receive an immediate 3.5 per cent pay increase backdated to September 2023, followed by a 1.9 per cent increase in August 2024, 1.5 per cent in December 2024 and a further 3 per cent in August 2025.  This is in addition to the 2.8 per cent increase which took effect in January 2023.

The agreement provides for a new deal to be negotiated in early 2026.

Unite’s construction committee is recommending acceptance of the deal, which is now being put to members in a ballot.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 

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