Unite the Union, Ireland Region

Unions demand urgent meeting with Secretary of State in campaign for a pay increase for bus and rail workers

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Unite the union NI

DfI permanent secretary tells trade unions that inadequate budget leaves him unable to properly fund public transport

Unite, GMB and SIPTU members working in Translink continue to vote in unprecedented coordinated industrial ballot

A delegation of Translink workplace reps and union officers from Unite, GMB and SIPTU met with the permanent secretary of the Department for Infrastructure Denis McMahon this week (Wednesday 1 November). The delegation warned tht workers are set to vote for strike action over a proposed pay freeze by Translink management.

The permanent secretary expressed regret that he was unable to provide ‘clarity’ on a timeframe for improved public transport funding to allow bus and rail workers to receive a fair pay increase as his “department does not have the resources it needs”.

All three unions have now written to secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, who has responsibility for setting the budget for departments in the absence of a functioning Stormont executive. They are seeking a meeting on the funding of public transport services to allow for a pay increase for Translink workers.

If transport workers vote for industrial action, industrial action could commence from early December. Any industrial action would bring Northern Ireland to a standstill and have a huge impact on the economy.

The anniversary date (when a pay increase was due) for these pay negotiations was April 2023 and the twelve-month inflation at that point using RPI – the most accurate measure – was 11 per cent. That means in real terms workers are facing more than a 11 per cent pay cut.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is entirely unacceptable that during the worst cost of living crisis in generations, public transport workers are faced with a pay freeze. Our members cannot bear such a burden. The secretary of state has to act and act immediately to avoid an escalating industrial dispute.”

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Posted in Campaign for Decent Pay, Northern Ireland news, Press Releases, Public Services | Tagged Bus, GMB, Rail, Sharon Graham, SIPTU, strike, strike ballot, Translink, Unite | Leave a comment

Unite the union secures pay deal worth 11% for Severfield workers

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Union members vote to accept deal and withdraw plans for strike at Fermanagh-based steel erector company

Unite the union members employed by Severfield, the UK’s largest specialist structural steel company, in Kesh, Co Fermanagh are celebrating the resolution of an ongoing pay dispute which was due to see strike action commence this week (Tuesday 31October).

The workers voted to accept a pay deal which in total will be worth up to 11.2 per cent over the year for most members, in addition workers will receive a one-off cost of living payment of £700. This brings to an end the industrial dispute and the planned industrial action.

The deal also includes a commitment to undertake a benchmarking exercise on the difference between pay at Fermanagh and with Severfield plant’s elsewhere within the UK. The pay agreement will also mean that all Unite members are automatically included in the bargaining unit for future pay negotiations – the next anniversary date being April 2024.

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Public transport unions to meet DfI Permanent Secretary in crunch meeting as strike ballots open

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Unite the union NI

All three front-line public transport unions commence coordinated strike ballots members at Translink

A delegation of workforce reps and trade union officials are to meet Denis McMahon, Infrastructure Department permanent secretary tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon

Representatives of Unite, SIPTU and GMB will meet the permanent secretary of the Department for Infrastructure Denis McMahon at his offices at 14:00 on Wednesday, November 1 to discuss the potential for bus and rail workers to strike in the run up to Christmas.

Workers in all three unions are in dispute with their employer Translink over the company’s refusal to make a pay offer and instead attempt to instigate a pay freeze.

Translink management claims that they do not have the financial resources to make an improved pay offer due to the tight constraints on public transport funding by the Department for Infrastructure – an outcome forced by the ‘sanctions’ budget imposed on Northern Ireland Departments by Conservative secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris in the absence of a functioning executive.

All three unions began balloting their members for industrial action yesterday (Monday 30 October).

The strike ballots are due to close on Thursday 16 November (Unite) and Friday 17 November (GMB and SIPTU). The first possible date for strike action could be Friday 1 December. It is anticipated that any strike action would bring all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland to a standstill.

Sharon Graham general secretary of Unite said: “With inflation standing at 8.9 per cent, management is trying to inflict a massive real-terms pay cut on its workers. Translink workers keep Northern Ireland functioning they cannot and will not accept a huge attack on their pay.”

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Unite, GMB and SIPTU to proceed with coordinated industrial ballots of passenger transport workforces over zero percent pay offer

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Joint Transport Trade Union side press release

Representatives and officials of three trade unions representing frontline bus and rail workers met yesterday and agreed unanimously to proceed with an industrial ballot, including for action up to and including strike, of their members over pay. All three unions will ballot their members working in Ulsterbus, Metro and the Glider. GMB and SIPTU will ballot members working in Northern Ireland Rail.

All three trade unions have now given seven-day notice of the pending strike ballots to Translink, northern Ireland’s public transport provider and the ballots will open from 30^th October closing on 17^th November (GMB and SIPTU) and 16^th November (Unite).

If members of the three trade unions vote for industrial action, the first possible date for strike action on bus and rail would be Friday December 1^st. Such coordinated industrial action by members of all three trade unions would be unprecedented in recent years and would bring to a standstill all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland.

The strike follows consultative processes in all three trade unions. Unite conducted a full consultative ballot of its bus worker membership which returned a 98% vote rejecting a zero percent pay offer by Translink management and demanding a ballot on industrial action.

Management at Translink have indicated that they are unable to offer any pay offer or a timetable for negotiations for an improved pay offer in light of the constrained funding for public transport. The situation has been precipitated as a result of the punitive budget imposed on the Department for Infrastructure by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris in the absence of a functioning Stormont Executive.

All three unions are proceeding with an industrial ballot but are due to participate, alongside Translink management, in a crunch meeting with the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Infrastructure in coming days.

Unite the union’s General Secretary is Sharon Graham who commented.

“Our members voted overwhelmingly by 98.5% to reject management’s insulting zero percent pay offer. We are now encouraging members to vote for industrial action up to and including strike action to win a proper pay increase.

“Bus and rail public transport services have been underfunded and undervalued by Stormont for years. The brutal budget cuts imposed by Chris Heaton-Harris on Northern Ireland public services have brought about this dispute by directly impacting our members. He needs to recognise that public transport workers and their unions stand in a united front in defence of public transport services and our members’ jobs, pay and terms and conditions.”

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Posted in Campaign for Decent Pay, Northern Ireland news, Press Releases, Public Services | Tagged ballot, GMB, Northern Ireland, pay, Sharon Graham, SIPTU, strike, Translink, Unite | Leave a comment

Unite secures 10.4% pay boost for Mitie Dungarvan cleaners

Posted on October 24, 2023 by unitetheunion

Deal includes element backdated to April 2021

Union to seek further increase in 2024

October 24th: Unite, which represents Mitie employees working as cleaners at Haleon sites in Dungarvan, today (Tuesday) said it had secured a 10.4% pay boost to the 2022/23 real Living Wage of €13.85 per hour. The union will be entering a new round of pay talks in February 2024, when it will be seeking the new real Living Wage of €14.80 per hour.

The real Living Wage is calculated each year by the Living Wage Technical Group, to which Unite is affiliated, and is based on the cost of a basket of goods and services required to maintain a minimum essential standard of living.

The deal negotiated by Unite includes a 2% increase on pay from the 1^st April 2021, another 2.5% increase on pay from the 1^st of April 2022, with the increase to the real Living Wage of €13.85 per hour backdated to 1^st of July 2023.

The backdating elements of the deal mean that members will receive lump sums of between €2500 and €3000 based on working a 39-hour week over the relevant period.

Commenting, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said:

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