Public transport workers at Translink to commence 48-hour strike action in absence of pay offer

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Joint Trade Union statement

Strike action by members of UNITE, GMB and SIPTU will mean no bus or rail services on Friday or Saturday

Blame for disruption rests wholly with secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris who is punishing workers in political stalemate

Public transport workers employed by Translink will commence fresh strike action in pursuit of a pay increase tomorrow. The strike will commence at staggered times in the morning of Friday 15 December and last for 48 hours ending on Sunday 17 December. The industrial action follows a previous one-day strike by bus and rail workers held on Friday 1 December.

Members of all three trade unions on Ulsterbus, Metro bus and Glider will strike and those of GMB and SIPTU on Northern Ireland Rail. The industrial action follows ballots across all three unions with yes votes in the high 90s for strike action in the face of a pay freeze instigated by the secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris, which amounts to a real-terms pay cut of 11.4 per cent when RPI inflation is factored in. 

Due to the involvement of all three frontline unions, all bus and rail services across Northern Ireland will be halted. 

Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The failure of the secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris to intervene and provide any pay increase has left Translink workers no alternative but to escalate industrial action. 

“All too often Translink workers are on the frontline of social disorder or unrest now in the midst of the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, they are being told to accept an 11 per cent real-terms pay cut. That is completely unacceptable. They continue to have the full support of Unite in their fight.”

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Unite members in Haleon secure 9.5% pay uplift over two years

Posted on December 13, 2023 by unitetheunion

Dungarvan workers to also benefit from €2,000 in tax-free vouchers

Deal follows vote to reject Labour Court recommendation

Trade union Unite, which represents around 800 members in Haleon’s Dungarvan facility, said today (Wednesday) that members have voted overwhelmingly to accept a deal which will see pay increase by 5.5 per cent on 1 January 2024 and by 4 per cent on 1 January 2025.  The deal negotiated by Unite will also see members receive a €1000 tax free voucher before Christmas this year, followed by two €500 vouchers at Christmas 2024 and 2025.

Haleon was previously known as GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

The previous three year pay deal expired this year, and last November Unite lodged a claim for a cost of living pay increase.  Members voted to reject an inadequate Labour Court recommendation and had been preparing to ballot for industrial action when the company came to the table to negotiate a significantly better deal.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

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Transport unions announce fresh Translink strikes

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Joint Unite-GMB-SIPTU press release

Full responsibility for transport disruption lies with Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris who has engineered a pay crisis seeking to advance a political agenda

Translink workers from Unite the union, SIPTU and GMB will take three further days of strike action in the run up to Christmas.

A 48-hour strike action is to commence from 00.01 on Friday 15 December ending with a further 24-hour strike commencing a week later at 00.01am on Friday 22 December. The strikes will bring to a standstill all bus and rail services operated by Translink.

The strikes represent an escalation of the industrial dispute by public transport workers who took initial strike action on Friday 1 December. The dispute centres over the unions’ demand for a cost-of-living adjustment pay increase. Workers are facing a real terms pay cut of 11 per cent due to the failure of Translink to offer workers a pay increase.

Both Translink’s management and officials at the department for infrastructure have blamed the failure to offer a pay increase on the inadequacy of funding in the budget imposed by secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris.

The unions have laid full responsibility for disruption arising from the strikes with the secretary of state – after he refused to intervene to resolve the pay dispute.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “it is completely unacceptable that Translink workers are facing a huge real terms pay cut, due to the proposed pay freeze.

“This dispute rest entirely at the door of the secretary of state, who could easily resolve it by providing an adequate budget for public transport services. The Translink workers have the unflinching backing of Unite. In the coming days, workers will be taking their campaign for decent pay direct to the door of the secretary of state.”

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Translink workers plan further December strikes in pay dispute 

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Joint Trade Union press release

Transport workers left with no alternative after failure of secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris to intervene and resolve pay dispute

Unions challenge secretary of state’s inaction to deliver pay increase given willingness to intervene on other issues

Workplace reps and officers from Unite, GMB and SIPTU met this morning to agree the next steps in their campaign to secure a cost of living pay increase. The workers have agreed a schedule of strike action with dates to be notified to the employer on Wednesday (December 6).

The meeting of workplace reps follows the highly successful strike action by public transport workers last Friday [December 1st] which brought all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland to a standstill. The strikes are a direct result of Translink’s refusal to make a pay increase, a substantial real terms pay cut, with inflation (RPI) standing at 11 per cent, when the pay increase was due.

The unions are calling for the secretary of state to intervene to properly fund public transport services in the region – including provision of a cost of living pay increase. Both their employer Translink and its sponsor, the department for infrastructure, highlight inadequate funding under the budget imposed by the secretary of state as the reason for a lack of a pay increase.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said. “Translink workers are facing a huge real terms pay cut. This is completely unacceptable and must be reversed. Last Friday’s strike action shows the strength of feeling among our members. Their plans for escalated strike action has Unite’s complete support.”

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Responsibility for first public transport strike in eight years lies solely with secretary of state

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Public transport funding needed to ensure cost of living pay increase for workforce

Workers from Unite, GMB and SIPTU will take 24-hour strike action commencing from 00.01am Friday [1 December] in pursuit of a cost of living pay increase. 

The strike action will affect bus and rail services across Northern Ireland and the action by members of all three public transport unions is likely to mean that no services will operate throughout the day. The strike is the first to occur on bus and rail since 2015. 

The industrial action follows coordinated strike ballots held by the three unions which returned overwhelming support for industrial action. Bus workers in Unite voted 96.5 per cent for strike, Translink workers in GMB voted 95.6 per cent for strike and in SIPTU by 93.1 per cent.  The ballots were conducted after workers rejected a pay freeze– equivalent to a 11 per cent real-terms pay cut once (RPI) inflation is taken into account.  

A meeting between the unions and the permanent secretary of the department for infrastructure confirmed the primary problem is the austerity budget imposed by secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “To attempt to impose a pay freeze is sickening in what is the worst cost of living crisis for workers in decades. “In taking strike action, our members can be confident of the full and continuing support of Unite.” 

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