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Today, 23 August, is the International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Pointing out that the campaign to abolish chattel slavery was driven by formerly enslaved persons such as Oloudah Equiano and Frederick Douglass, who inspired activists from Belfast to Cork to create one of the first civil society campaigns in Ireland, Unite today said that the same determination and organisation are needed today to counter messages of hate and division.
Commenting, Unite Regional Equalities Officer Taryn Trainor said:
“Today commemorates the start of the insurrection in Saint-Domingue by self-liberated slaves – an event which played a crucial role in the eventual abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and reminds us that abolition was driven and eventually won by enslaved and formerly enslaved persons.
“Earlier this year, we welcomed the unveiling of a statue to former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, funded by Belfast City Council. Douglass, like Oloudah Equiano in the previous century, travelled throughout Ireland, and was supported by a network of determined anti-slavery activists, women and men, from Cork to Belfast. They knew that, as Frederick Douglass pointed out, there can be no progress without struggle.
“As trade unionists, the fight for abolition reminds us that struggle must always be informed and directed by those most directly affected.
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The latest monthly statistics released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) confirm that while overall pay for workers in the region has risen, it has fallen behind the rising cost of living, and the increases elsewhere in the UK.
Median gross pay for Northern Ireland workers in July was £2,103 compared to £2,274 in the wider UK (an 8.1% differential) and while this represented a 7.5% increase on the year – this falls behind both the increase in UK median pay (7.8%) and the Retail Price Index (RPI) of 10.7%.
Commenting, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said:
“The battle to push up pay has been hard fought and it’s certainly far from over. Our economy is broken. Everyday people are still suffering. These statistics are clear – workers in Northern Ireland continue to be paid even less than workers elsewhere in the UK. This is simply unacceptable. Trade unions remain especially vital during a cost-of-living crisis that government is doing little to solve.”
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Unite leader Susan Fitzgerald will pay solidarity visit to Carrick-on-Suir picket line
Union warns LGMA that they don’t get to choose the trade union which represents their workforce
Unite the union members working as retained firefighters in Counties Tipperary and Waterford are set to take a further two days strike action starting tomorrow [Thursday 3rd August] and continuing on Friday [4th August]. The two day strike represents an escalation of an industrial dispute which has arisen due to the continued refusal of the Local Government Management Association (LGMA), which represents the local authorities, to engage with Unite over workforce concerns.
Retained firefighters, who form the backbone of Ireland’s firefighting service, have seen retainers and call-out fees frozen for years while the location requirements make it difficult or impossible for workers to supplement their low earnings with other employment. Retained firefighters are also seeking structured and predictable ‘off-call’ times, rather than – as is currently the reality – operating on a 24/7 basis.
Ahead of the strike action Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham expressed her support for the striking firefighters:
“Retained firefighters perform a vital role for the whole community and face considerable risks in the performance of their duties. These are frontline and essential workers but they have been taken for granted for too long.
“The disrespect shown to these frontline workers is demonstrated by the continued refusal of the Local Government Management Agency – that acts as representative of their employers – to engage with their trade union, Unite.
“The LGMA does not get to choose what union its workers wish to have as their representative voice. They need to come to the table to resolve this dispute.”
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Unite the union seeks engagement with LGMA over shortcomings in proposed Framework
Pickets set for eight local authorities from 00.01 Wednesday [2nd August] to 23.59 Friday [4th August]
Unite members working in water delivery services for eight local authorities around the country will escalate their industrial action this week with a further three days of stoppages. Water workers will take strike action at Carlow County Council, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Fingal County Council, Kerry County Council, South Dublin County Council, Tipperary County Council and Waterford County Council.
The action is due to the continued refusal of local authorities and its representative body, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) to meaningfully engage with the union over its members’ concerns regarding shortcomings to the ‘Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services’ document put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission last year.
The Framework document was rejected overwhelmingly by Unite members employed in water services delivery as essential workers, as it failed to address their concerns.
Unite is seeking a commitment that members transferring to Irish Water will retain their public service status, a strengthening of existing commitments regarding protection of local authority workers involved in water services delivery, and a removal of service and age barriers for those wishing to avail of the redundancy option.
Furthermore, the union has urged that the framework be amended to specify a date and wording for a referendum enshrining public ownership and management of Ireland’s water system in the Constitution.
Unite wrote on 20th July to the Local Government Management Agency to notify the employer of the escalated strike action. The union has indicated that it remains available to meet directly, or via a proposed and agreed third party, to attempt to resolve the dispute.
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Unite the Union, Ireland Region 